Psychedelic philosopher Alan Watts may have been correct when he wrote that we “ can not be more sore to pleasure without being more sore to pain . ” Prescriptions for SSRI and MAOIs increased more than 400 % over a 20 year interval , all with the aim of boosting serotonin level to advertize felicity and reduce anxiety . Yet millions of eld of phylogenesis have witnessed a zoological garden of venomous fauna independently leveraging 5-hydroxytryptamine for a mutually exclusive event : the infliction of excruciating pain sensation .
Ninety per centum of our serotonin keeps the GI organization running by rights . In the central unquiet organization , 5-hydroxytryptamine is responsible for liaise a wide range of feelings including delight , content and even appetite and sleep . Antidepressants work by extend the life of serotonin either by blocking enzymes that normally clear it from circulation ( MAOI ) or by preventing its re-uptake from synapses in the encephalon ( SSRIs ) . The result is normally a striking improvement in one ’s sense of well - being .
It ’s dry that an agent of such happiness is equally responsible for so much wretchedness . Subcutaneous injection of even miniscule quantity of serotonin will do pain sensing neuron predict nociceptors to kindle wildly . The result dump of prostaglandins , bradykinin and subject matter P results in a United States Department of State of hyperalgesia ; Greek for “ above pain in the neck . ”
No marvel then that so many brute have deployed 5-hydroxytryptamine in their own defense . The searing hurting of a hornet sting is caused in large part by the presence of serotonin in its complex venomous cocktail . So too is the agony visit by some ocean urchin stinging .
Amazingly , the deployment of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the chemic armory of maliciousness cut a panoptic swath across invertebrates and even some vertebrate detail in a new book “ Poison : Sinister Species with Deadly Consequences ” by Dr. Mark Siddall of the American Museum of Natural story in New York urban center .
The deathstalker scorpion ( Leiurus quinquestriatus ) vagabond from North Africa to Pakistan . in addition to serotonin , the deathstalker ’s malice include a lethal mix of agitoxins , charybdotoxin , chlorotoxin , and scyllatoxin .
Species ofPhoenuetria , including the wandering wanderer and banana spiders are fear for their belligerent behaviour . And rightly - so . A huge VD of serotonin let them to impose some of the most painful wanderer bites . Another venom chemical compound , PhTx3 , can result in painful priapism .
A lot of the lasting scathe due to the malice - soaked fundament - long serrate barb of a drab spotted stingray(Neotrygon kuhlii ) is due to soma liquefying enzymes combined with some 5-hydroxytryptamine just to make trusted it ’s painful .
The tenacious insect bite of Gila monsters ( Heloderma suspectum ) squeeze spitefulness along grooved lower tooth - which is made only more afflictive by the presence of serotonin . Other spite components admit hypothermia inducing helothermine , and exendin-4 a synthetic version of which is now a blockbuster drug for command type-2 diabetes .
The flashing iridescent patterns on each of three species ofHapalochlaenabelie a dangerous beauty . A blueish - resound devilfish bite be a dizzying neuroactive cocktail of serotonin , tryptamine , octopamine , tyramine , and acetylcholine along with a deadly dose of tetrodotoxin .
Curator and Professor at the American Museum of Natural History , Siddall of late curated the “ Power of Poison " exhibition , which will be traveling internationally for the coming years . He is is now busy working on two new exposition for the spring of 2015 : one celebrating brute super powers and another in collaboration with the Carter Center that explores the prospect for global disease eradication . you may buy his fresh book , “ Poison : Sinister Species with Deadly Consequences " here .
All images by Megan Gavin , used with permission .
