toxic-plants

Toxic plants produce chemical compounds that cause illness or death in animals that consume them, representing one of the most widespread and effective plant defense strategies. Understanding plant toxicology is central to plant biology research, as it reveals how plants synthesize, store, and deploy secondary metabolites to deter herbivores without the ability to flee. This field also has broad implications for ecology, agriculture, and medicine, since many plant toxins serve as the basis for pharmaceuticals or pose risks to livestock and human health.