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The modes of action of toxic agents I. Observations on the poisoning of certain crustaceans by copper and mercury

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

E. D. S. Corner
Affiliation:
From the Plymouth Laboratory and the International Paints Research Laboratory, Newton Ferrers, Devon
B. W. Sparrow
Affiliation:
From the Plymouth Laboratory and the International Paints Research Laboratory, Newton Ferrers, Devon

Extract

Reports of recent attempts to discover how copper and mercury act as poisons to crustaceans are to be found in papers by Clarke (1947), Pyefinch & Mott (1948), Barnes & Stanbury (1948), Hoffmann (1950) and Russell Hunter (1950). Most of the evidence obtained has been interpreted in the light of two general theories (cf. Pyefinch & Mott, 1948). One is that these poisons exert their toxic effects by inactivating vital processes which occur at the animal's surface: the other is that they are absorbed by the animal and act internally by inhibiting metabolic changes. However, conclusive evidence supporting or excluding either possibility has yet to be obtained.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1956

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References

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