Ricin, a Weapon of Mass Destruction

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Ricinus communis (ricin) is one of the most deadly toxins that has been discovered. It is a protein toxin extracted from the castor bean plant and a single molecule can kill an entire cell. The mechanism of action is by destroying the ribosome within a cell, which prevents protein synthesis. The toxin works as a slow poison, eventually causing a total body failure, as necessary proteins are not replaced. This common toxin can be found in gardens and wild areas around the world and is wildly grown for the oil it produces. It can be in the form of a powder, mist and can be dissolved in water. As a result, ricin can be used as a biological weapon of mass destruction. Ricin is a plant that originally came from northeast Africa and made it’s way to America in the 16th century. Its seeds are extremely viable and germinate easily in any soil so that the plant has adapted to tropical as well as sub-tropical regions all over the world. Ricin is a shrub with long palmate leaves and bean-like seeds that are enclosed in spiky pods and when grounded, the seed produces castor oil. The castor oil is used for constipation, heartburn, and lubricants. As a biological weapons agent, ricin has the potential to be inexpensive and easily produced in large quantities. This relates in part to its wide availability. Castor bean seeds are widely available online. The plant grows wild all over the United States and is also grown in gardens. Worldwide, approximately one million tons of castor beans are processed annually in the production of castor oil. Ricin is a toxin by-product from the waste mash produced by the processing of castor beans for castor oil. This toxin is about six thousand times more toxic than cyanide. One seed can kill a child; an amount the size of a pinhead can kill an adult. Though ricin is a thousand times less toxic than botulinum toxin, it still remains one of the

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