Cone of poison: The secret behind the cone snail's venom pump

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - 11:00 in Biology & Nature

Scientists have discovered the secret of how an amazing sea snail injects its venom after shooting a harpoon-like tooth into its prey -- or some unlucky swimmer -- at jetliner speeds. The creatures, called cone snails, use a highly specialized structure that instantly pumps the paralyzing venom through the tooth and into its target. Their study appears in ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research.

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