CBSE Class 9 Answered

Tetrodotoxin, also known as "tetrodox" and frequently abbreviated as TTX, is a potent neurotoxin. Tetrodotoxin blocks action potentials in nerves by binding to the voltage-gated, fast sodium channels in nerve cell membranes, essentially preventing any affected nerve cells from firing by blocking the channels used in the process.The binding site of this toxin is located at the pore opening of the voltage-gated Na⁺ channel. Its name derives from Tetraodontiformes, the name of the order that includes the pufferfish, porcupinefish, ocean sunfish or mola, and triggerfish, several species of which carry the toxin. Its mechanism of action, selective blocking of the sodium channel.

Tetrodotoxin in the future may be used for medicinal purposes as:

• Prevention of ischemic damage of the brain that follows stroke
• Suppressing pain in cancer patients
• Relieving the symptoms of withdrawal in opiate addicts
• An anesthesia