Venomous: How Earth's Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry
Written by Christie Wilcox
Narrated by Emily Rankin
5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
A thrilling tale of encounters with nature's masters of biochemistry
In Venomous, the molecular biologist Christie Wilcox investigates venoms and the animals that use them, revealing how they work, what they do to the human body, and how they can revolutionize biochemistry and medicine today.
Wilcox takes us from the coast of Indonesia to the rainforests of Peru in search of the secrets of these mysterious animals. We encounter jellyfish that release microscopic venom-packed darts known to kill humans in just two minutes, a two-inch caterpillar with toxic bristles that trigger hemorrhaging throughout the body, and a stunning blue-ringed octopus with saliva capable of inducing total paralysis. How could an animal as simple as a jellyfish evolve such an intricate, deadly poison? And how can a snake possess enzymes that tear through tissue yet leave its own body unscathed? Wilcox meets the fearless scientists who often risk their lives studying these lethal beasts to find out, and puts her own life on the line to examine these species up close. Drawing on her own research on venom chemistry and evolution, she also shows how venom is helping us untangle the complex mechanisms of some of our most devastating diseases.
Venomous reveals that the animals we fear the most actually hold the keys to a deeper understanding of evolution, adaptation, and immunity. Thrilling and surprising at every turn, Venomous will change the way you think about our natural world.
Christie Wilcox
Christie Wilcox, PhD, is a scientist and an award-winning science writer. Her writing has appeared in Discover, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, Slate, and Popular Science.
Related to Venomous
Related audiobooks
Mosquitoes: Man’s Ancient Enemies... Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings10% Human: How Your Body's Microbes Hold the Key to Health and Happiness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Remnants of Ancient Life: The New Science of Old Fossils Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Parasites: Latching on to Free Lunch Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMosquito: The Story of Man's Deadliest Foe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Follow Your Gut: The Enormous Impact of Tiny Microbes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army and Other Diabolical Insects Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nature Underfoot: Living with Beetles, Crabgrass, Fruit Flies, and Other Tiny Life Around Us Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Evolution is Wrong: A Radical Approach to the Origin and Transformation of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sleeping Beauties: The Mystery of Dormant Innovations in Nature and Culture Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Viruses: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Planet of Viruses: Third Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Life on Earth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insects: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCurious Species: How Animals Made Natural History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArrival the Fittest: Solving Evolution's Greatest Puzzle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMolds, Mushrooms, and Medicines: Our Lifelong Relationship with Fungi Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBiodiversity Conservation: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNatural Parasite Management for Livestock: Harnessing Nature’s Solutions for Internal Control and Healthy Herds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVenom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reptiles: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dead Mech: A Military Sci-Fi Action Adventure with Mechs in a Zombie Apocalypse Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Creation: How Science is Reinventing Life Itself Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Animal Behaviour Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fungipedia: A Brief Compendium of Mushroom Lore Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beak, Tooth and Claw: Living with Predators in Britain Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Biology For You
Radiolab: Journey Through The Human Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How the Mind Works Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hot Zone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Second Nature: A Gardener's Education Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Longevity Paradox: How to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My Tale of Madness and Recovery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: The Real Anthony Fauci Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Inner Life of Animals: Love, Grief, and Compassion: Surprising Observations of a Hidden World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Venomous
6 ratings0 reviews