Biting your lips is a very painful experience. Imagine, however, a snake Murders Incidentally, or A bite from another animal Same item. What should happen in this situation? The answer, like almost everything in biology, depends.

In fact, most Cobras Does not affect the action of the venom or the venom of other animals Same item. This mechanism is yet to be studied, and it is difficult to understand what makes it so Resistance to snake venom. However, studies Late last year Show that there is an answer to that question. A biophysical answer.

The researchers found that snakes in this sense Use of polarity of amino acids To avoid the action of certain toxins. Amino acids can have many electronic charges, more positive or more negative. For this reason, amino acids can be more easily approached or exited when their charges interact.

when A snake Receiving its own toxins, life alters the production of certain amino acids and replaces the negative charges with positive ones. In this way, the toxin (usually positively charged) is not absorbed by the cells or at least not absorbed. This makes snakes immune to certain toxins. The authors suggest that this behavior has already developed more than 10 times independently around the world.

The snake is not only immune from its venom

In the list of the thickest skinned animals in the universe, Rates Definitely possess A high position. These badgers are 30 cm tall, yet they do not think twice about attacking lions, bears and venomous snakes. It is noteworthy that these mammals are resistant to the venom of various snakes. According to the article mentioned above, this behavior is possible through an electronic system similar to detoxification.

The article is available in the journal Royal Society.