How are cobras not killed by their own venom?

[Mendel's Balls]

A pretty interesting, but simple article, from the Weekly Reader Magazine Current Science titled "Snakes on a Brain" explains that it has to do with a an extra sugar molecule on the acetylcholine receptor.

Interestingly, this sugar molecule appears on mongoose species that are resistant to cobra venom. To read more about this example of convergent evolution see http://zoltantakacs.com/zt/sc/naja.shtml.

[MPenn]

Who would have thought that something as simple as a sugar molecule would be that important?


Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.