Now I don't really talk about anything on this site that deals with anything biochemistry related, but I will make this an exception due to the state of current events. Ricin might be a word that you have heard recently in the new, about the poising attempt on President Obama by an Elvis impersonator. For those who don't know what Ricin is, it is a protein originating from the same plant that gives you castor oil. It's job in the body is a nasty one, as it inhibits protein synthesis (which is pretty much everything important in a cell), more specifically it acts upon the ribosome (a small organelle which synthesizes proteins). It's categorization of inhibitor is a Ribosome Inactivating Protein, which cynically has the acronym RIP. Although this is a very deadly poison (a gram worth to kill), there does exist an antidote, but the survivors will have major organ damage and will have a shortened life expectancy.
Source:
Wikipedia
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