What the species is and where it came from
Poison is not a species. It is a functional category: any chemical substance harmful or lethal to a living organism, defined by context — science, biology, medicine, or ecology.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
Poison works by causing harm or death when absorbed, inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through skin — dose, route, and species determine effect.
What it gets right
It correctly anchors toxicity in dose and exposure route, and clarifies that ‘poison’ in practice means ‘toxic to humans’, not universally harmful.
What it does not
It does not predict lethality, define safe thresholds, or specify mechanisms of action. It says nothing about ecology beyond human toxicity.
What it changed
It shifted medical and ecological language to centre human-relevant toxicity and passive exposure, separating poison from toxin and venom in usage.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for clinicians, toxicologists, regulators, and educators who must classify exposure pathways and human risk. It is not for ecologists studying coevolution or non-human toxicity without human reference.
Is it worth your time
Yes, if you need to distinguish passive chemical harm from active delivery like venom — but it offers no predictive power for toxicity without context.
