In controlled quantities, snake venom can prevent blood clotting and safely lower blood pressure, as well as perform other important medical tasks.
Milking snakes for their venom, however, is extremely dangerous. At the Hubrecht Institute (KNAW) in the Netherlands, researchers are using stem cell technology to create artificial snake venom glands.
The snake venom gland, which evolved in snakes from the salivary gland, contains secretory columnar cells that excrete a complex mixture of toxic proteins. This fluid travels through connecting ducts to the snake’s fangs, and is released and injected during a bite.
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