- Symptoms -

       Tetrodotoxin is highly specific in binding to the sodium ion (Na+) channels in the cells.
It acts as a competitive inhibitor by mimicking the Na+ ion and blocking the Na+ ion channels,
thus preventing the flow of Na+ ions. This causes the failure of the transmission of nerve impulses,
eventually leading to death. The symptoms of Tetrodotoxin poisoning can be loosely divided into 4
stages.

Immediate
- Slight numbness of lips and tongue

Stage 1
- Increasing paresthesia in face and extremities
- Sensations of lightness and floating
- Headache, nausea, severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea and/or vomiting

Stage 2
- Increasing paralysis
- Motor dysfunction with weakness, hypoventilation and speech difficulties
- Convulsions, mental impairment, cardiac dysfunction

Stage 3
- Central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction
- Complete paralysis
- Death (usually occurs between a range of 20 minutes to 8 hours, where a person could
still be conscious or in certain cases completely lucid before death)

Picture on left from "http://www.ecologiasociale.org/pg/bio_dna_pufferfish.html"
Picture on right from " http://www.aquatic-adventures.com/AA_photo_two.htm"

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