ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Neosaxitoxin

Neosaxitoxin is a chemical substance that is very harmful to living things if they eat it or if it gets inside their body. It is made by tiny creatures called bacteria that live in various environments such as oceans, rivers, and lakes.

When neosaxitoxin gets inside a person's body, it can stop their nerves from working properly. This can cause all kinds of problems for a person, like trouble breathing, muscle weakness, and even paralysis or death.

But, scientists can also use neosaxitoxin for good things too. They can study it to understand how to keep people safe from its harmful effects, and they can try to use it to help treat people's health problems.

So remember, neosaxitoxin is a harmful chemical made by tiny bacteria that can cause lots of bad things to happen to a person's body, but scientists study it to try to help people stay safe and healthy.
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