Scorpion Venom Has A Secret Ingredient: Acid

D-brief
By John Wenz
Aug 3, 2017 5:31 PMMay 21, 2019 5:43 PM
An emperor scorpion. (Credit: By Vova Shevchuk/Shutterstock)
An emperor scorpion. (Credit: By Vova Shevchuk/Shutterstock)

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A scorpion’s sting doesn’t just impart venom — it uses a special acid to bring the pain.

In research published Wednesday in Science Advances, a team of researchers looked into why scorpion venom packs such a punch. The venom targets several pain receptors to warn away would-be predators, and it uses acid to make the sting all the more excruciating.

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