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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: mozEE on April 24, 2009, 10:31:08 PM

Title: CaS? Not Calcium Sulfide?
Post by: mozEE on April 24, 2009, 10:31:08 PM

Is the chemical formula for a black mamba venom (calciseptide) CaS? If it is, does that mean that the venom is a highly concentrated form calcium sulfide? I'm very confused! ???

Title: Re: CaS? Not Calcium Sulfide?
Post by: Arkcon on April 24, 2009, 10:43:31 PM

I don't have to look at wikipedia to suspect -- that a biological venom will not have a simple formula like that.  Well, maybe there are examples from say the bombadier beetle, but a chemical stored in a vertebrate's glands is most likely going to be a complex protein ...

*[EDIT]*

Yep, a mixture of several neurotoxins and hematoxins, including the one you named ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calciseptine ... a calcium channel blocker