How come you can build up tolerance to toxins, like snake’s, but you can’t build up a tolerance to others, like cyanide?

Question

How come you can build up tolerance to toxins, like snake’s, but you can’t build up a tolerance to others, like cyanide?

In: 106

Answer 1

Heavy metals are cumulative poisons. They stay in the body for long periods of time, and repeated small exposure is as damaging as a single larger dose. They are also much more simple molecules than organic poisons, so your body can’t really break them down any further.

Organic poisons are more fleeting. They break down or get passed out of your system if they don’t kill you. Once your immune system learns them, it can speed up the process of breaking down some organic poisons into harmless chemicals that your body can pass.