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Originally Posted by ThomasH.
Still doesn't quite make sense, a human would probably still weigh more than all the mice. Ahh... I don't get it.
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The LD50 quantifies the relative toxicity of venoms.. How much reconstituted, freeze-dried venom calculated as a percentage of weight, does it take to kill 1/2 of the mice it is injected in. It's a valid scale of venom toxicity.
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It doesn't consider many real-life conditions of envenomation of humans by a snake.. Just as one example.. though a couple of sea-snakes do have extremely toxic venom on the LD50 scale.. what are the chances of a person being bitten?.. another example.. when a snake bites, venom is not automatically introduced into the wound.. that is a conscious, not autonomic function.. so the amount (if any) of venom given varies.. even if (and they do not) every snake had the capacity to deliver the same dose... many other factors apply.. way too many for anybody except laboratory cell-biologists and other people unconnected with real-life encounters with venemous animals.. to get really pumped-up over LD50 tests.
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That's what I thnk, anyway.
