Venomous animals roam the earth

We come by our fear of creatures that bite and sting honestly. After all, there are some very potent, even deadly toxins out there among common spiders, snakes and insects. Perhaps Less familiar but no less toxic are venom stingstheblue ringed octopus, wana sea urchin and cone snail.

In her new book 'Venomous - How Earth's Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry', Dr. Christie Wilcox, a molecular biologist and science writer from the University of Hawaii, investigates this fascinating world. Although many venoms are life threatening, they may one day prove to be life-saving, as scientists continue to explore how the complex array of compounds in the toxins may help in the treatment of many diseases including HIV, epilepsy, Alzheimer's and even cancer.

RelatedLinks:

• National Geographic book review
• Dr. Christie Wilcox'sScience Sushi blog