Enzyme Videos

Cone sea snails (conus) are predatory creatures that eat small fish and worms in the ocean by using a harpoon-like structure that can inject toxins into their prey. These toxins will enter the prey's bloodstream and inhibit the receptors that control their muscle movement preventing them from functioning properly. This renders the fish defenseless and the cone snail will devlour its food whole. In these videos the snails have already injected their prey with toxins allowing them to consume them as food. 

Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disease that causes an individual to suffer from severe muscle weakness. This weakness is caused by a decreased amount of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the neuromuscular junction. These receptors normally are activated by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is also deactivated by an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase. By inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, more acetylcholine is available to the receptors and a normal ratio of receptors to neurotransmitters is established and the muscles can function normally. In this video a myasthenic dog, who normally has trouble walking, is treated with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and can walk and even run normally until the inhibition wears off.