Natural Toxicants: Tetrodotoxin

Tetrodotoxin (tetrodotoxin) is a potent neurotoxin, which shuts down electrical signaling in nerves by blocking the voltage-gated sodium channel proteins in nerve cell membranes. It was originally discovered in puffer fish but is found in a range of animal species and thought to be produced by bacteria. The toxin can be lethal to humans being 10 000 times more potent than cyanide. Human fatalities have been attributed to the ingestion of this toxin through consumption of puffer fish, a delicacy in Japan and other regions, and other marine species. The effects of tetrodotoxin poisoning onset quickly and include shortness of breath, numbness, tingling, light-headedness, paralysis, and irregular heartbeat. Treatment usually consists of respiratory assistance as no antidote has been developed. The accepted method of analysis for tetrodotoxin is the mouse bioassay, although recently more ethical assays have been developed including high performance liquid chromatography, biosensor and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay.

War, food rationing, and socioeconomic inequality in Germany during the First World War

Germany experienced a devastating period during the First World War due to severely restricted import possibilities and a general shortage of foodstuffs. This study uses the heights of some 4,000 individuals who served during the Second World War to quantify biological living standards from the 1900s to the 1920s, and focuses primarily on socioeconomic inequality during this period. The results suggest that generally the upper social strata, measured by fathers' occupation, exhibited the tallest average height, followed by the middle and lower classes. These socioeconomic differences became more pronounced during the First World War when the rationing system provided a limited food supply. Wealthier individuals were able to purchase additional foodstuffs on black markets. Therefore, children from upper-class families experienced only a small decline in average height compared to their counterparts from the middle and lower social strata.