DOMOIC ACID

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does domoic acid mean? 

• DOMOIC ACID (noun)
  The noun DOMOIC ACID has 1 sense:

1. a neurotoxin that is deadly for humans; found in various marine algae

  Familiarity information: DOMOIC ACID used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DOMOIC ACID (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A neurotoxin that is deadly for humans; found in various marine algae

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("domoic acid" is a kind of...):

neurolysin; neurotoxin (any toxin that affects neural tissues)

 Context examples 

Knowledge of the genes involved in domoic acid production will allow for better monitoring of algae blooms, scientists say, and aid in identifying the conditions that trigger toxin production.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)

When phosphate in the ocean is limited and the amount of carbon dioxide increases, Pseudo-nitzschia can make large amounts of domoic acid and become harmful.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)

In a new study, researchers identified a cluster of genes related to the production of domoic acid in microscopic plants, or phytoplankton, called Pseudo-nitzschia.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)

Researchers who work on monitoring and forecasting harmful algae blooms say the findings offer an increased understanding of the phenomenon, and will help predict domoic acid events in response to climate change.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)

The researchers found that the genes contain the biological directions for how the toxin is made; these genes are "switched on" when Pseudo-nitzschia is producing domoic acid.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)

Along with rising ocean temperatures, these conditions lead to more prevalent, more toxic, and longer-lasting blooms and domoic acid production.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)

A high-dose exposure to domoic acid can lead to amnesic shellfish poisoning, a potentially fatal condition marked by seizures and short-term memory loss.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)

By showing how genes for domoic acid production are turned on, the authors suggest a way to connect the ocean conditions that drive algae blooms with the development of toxin production.

(Scientists discover genetic basis for how harmful algae blooms become toxic, National Science Foundation)