What is Ricin?
'''Ricin''' is a poison. It is a highly [[toxic]], naturally occurring [[protein]]. It is produced in the seeds of the [[castor oil plant]] ''Ricinus communis''. A dose the size of a few grains of table salt can kill an adult human.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/What-Makes-Ricin-So-Deadly-203512561.html|title=What makes ricin so deadly|publisher=Anthony Sabella|date=|accessdate=2013-04-24|archive-date=2013-04-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430234212/http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/What-Makes-Ricin-So-Deadly-203512561.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[median lethal dose]] (LD<sub>50</sub>) of ricin is around 22 micrograms per kilogram (1.78&nbsp;mg for an average adult, around {{frac|1|228}} of a standard aspirin tablet/0.4&nbsp;g gross) in humans if [[injection|injected ]] or [[inhalation|inhaled]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_1211902083375.htm |title=EFSA Scientific Opinion: Ricin (from Ricinus communis) as undesirable substances in animal feed [1&#93; - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain |publisher=Efsa.europa.eu |date= |accessdate=2010-09-01 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Oral exposure to ricin is far less toxic and a lethal dose can be up to 30–40&nbsp;milligrams per kilogram. Ricin prevents [[cells]] from assembling various [[amino acids]] into [[proteins]], and death occurs after a few hours up to a day. Ricin has been used as a [[terrorist]] weapon, including the [[assassination]] of [[Georgi Markov]] in 1978, supposedly by the [[KGB]]. == References == {{reflist}} {{Toxins}} [[Category:Poisons]] [[Category:Proteins]] {{biology-stub}}