Dear Dr. Universe: What is venom?

Cartoon of Dr. Universe at a microscope

A lot of different animals, like wasps, spiders, snakes, jellyfish, and scorpions, make venom. Animals like the cone snail, the blue-ringed octopus, and centipedes do, too.

Mark Margres a researcher who studied at Washington State University and now works at Clemson University, told me that venom tries to disrupt the systems in our body that help keep us alive.

See the full answer at the Dr. Universe website.

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