Transcript Black Mamba Dendroaspis polylepis

Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
By
Tina Joyner
Lauren Lefferts
Neda Talebreza
Black Mamba
 Largest venomous snake in
Africa
 Average length of 8.2 ft and a
maximum length of 14 ft
 Receives its name from the
black coloration on the inside
of its mouth
 The black mamba is the
fastest moving snake in the
world, capable of moving up
12.5 mph
Geographic Distribution
of Black Mamba
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Namibia
Botswana
Mozambique
Zimbabwe
Behavior
 Extremely aggressive nature
 Will actively attack without provocation
 Bites multiple times in succession
 A single bite may inject enough venom to kill
20-40 grown men
 Can raise up one-third of its body from the
ground (to kill you)
Venom
 Black Mamba venom is a cocktail of
toxins like many other snake venoms
 On average its bite injects 100-120 mg of
venom, however it can deliver up to 400 mg
 LD50 is 0.25-0.32 mg/kg
 10 to 15 mg is deadly to a human adult
 Venom is neurotoxic
Venom
 Calciseptine
 One of many toxins found in Black Mamba venom
 Consists of a 60 amino acid polypeptide with eight
cysteines forming four disulfide bridges.
 Smooth muscle relaxant
 Inhibitor of cardiac contractions
 L-type calcium channel blocker
 Only natural polypeptide toxin to block this type of
channel.
Venom
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Calciseptine
Blocks spontaneous portal vein contractions
Blocks contractions in several smooth muscles
Abolishes electrically stimulated left atrial
contractions in the heart
 Drastically decreases both action potential
frequency and amplitude
L-type Calcium Channel
 Found in both excitable and nonexcitable
tissue
 Responsible for normal myocardial and
vascular smooth muscle contractility
 Five subunits alpha-1, alpha-2, beta,
gamma, and delta.
 Dihydropyridine-based calcium antagonists
are used as markers for these binding sites.
Effects on body
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Local pain in the bite area
Tingling sensation in the extremities
Drooping eyelids
Tunnel vision
Sweating
Excessive salivation
Lack of muscle control (specifically the mouth
and tongue).
 Without treatment death from respiratory failure
will ensue
Pop Culture
 Hmm, I'm sorry, Budd. That was rude of me,
wasn't it? Budd, I'd like to introduce my friend,
the black mamba. Black mamba, this is Budd.
 "In Africa, the saying goes 'In the bush, an
elephant can kill you, a leopard can kill you,
and a black mamba can kill you. But only with
the mamba is death sure.' Hence its handle,
'Death Incarnate.' Pretty cool, huh?"
(Kill Bill Vol. 2)
References
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"Black Mamba." Wikipedia. 30 Apr. 2007
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mamba>.
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De Weille, Jan R., H Schweitz, P. Maes, A Tartar, and M. Lazdunski.
1991Calciseptine a Peptde Isolated Form of Black Mamba Venom, is a Specific
Bloker of the L-Type Calcium Channel. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 88: 2473-2477.
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"L-Type Calcium Channel." Medical Dictionary Online. 30 Apr. 2007
<http://www.online-medicaldictionary.org/L+Type+Calcium+Channel.asp?q=L+Type+Calcium+Channel>.
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"Memorable Quotes for Kill Bill VOl. 2." 30 Apr. 2007
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0378194/quotes>.
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Webshots. 30 Apr. 2007
<http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://image03.webshots.com/3/3/9/76/6
30976_ph.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pets.webshots.com/photo