Editing Poison (section)

==Modern definitions==
In broad metaphorical (colloquial) usage of the term, "poison" may refer to anything deemed harmful.

In [[biology]], poisons are [[Chemical substance|substances]] that can cause [[death]], injury, or harm to [[organs]], [[Tissue (biology)|tissues]], [[Cell (biology)|cells]], and [[DNA]] usually by chemical reactions or other [[activity (chemistry)|activity]] on the [[molecular]] scale, when an organism is exposed to a sufficient quantity.<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison "Poison"] at ''Merriam-Webster''. Retrieved December 26th, 2014.</ref>

[[Medicinal]] fields (particularly [[veterinary medicine]]) and [[zoology]] often distinguish poisons from ''[[toxins]]'' and ''[[venoms]]''. Both poisons and venoms are toxins, which are [[toxicant]]s produced by organisms in nature.<ref name=AustralianAcademyOfSciencePoisonvsVenom>{{cite web|title=Poison vs. Venom|work=[[Australian Academy of Science]]|date=3 November 2017 |url=https://www.science.org.au/curious/people-medicine/poison-vs-venom|access-date=17 April 2022}}</ref><ref name="Chippaux Goyffon 2006 pp. 215–20">{{cite journal|last1=Chippaux|first1=JP|last2=Goyffon|first2=M|title=[Venomous and poisonous animals--I. Overview].|journal=Médecine Tropicale|volume=66|issue=3|year=2006|issn=0025-682X|pmid=16924809|pages=215–20|language=fr}}</ref> The difference between venom and poison is the delivery method of the toxin.<ref name=AustralianAcademyOfSciencePoisonvsVenom /> Venoms are toxins that are actively delivered by being injected via a bite or sting through a ''venom apparatus'', such as [[fangs]] or a [[stinger]], in a process called [[envenomation]],<ref name="Gupta">{{cite book|editor-last=Gupta |editor-first=Ramesh C.|title=Reproductive and developmental toxicology|date=24 March 2017 |location=Saint Louis |publisher=Elsevier Science |isbn=978-0-12-804240-3|oclc=980850276|pages=963–972}}</ref> whereas poisons are toxins that are passively delivered by being swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. ''Unantidoteable'' refers to toxins that cannot be neutralized by modern medical technology, regardless of their type.<ref name=AustralianAcademyOfSciencePoisonvsVenom />