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bullet_text.gif (837 bytes) Nerve (blue) sends signals (small blue balls) to muscle (brown) to contract. These signals bind to the receptor (green), but a sugar (white) - that is unique to the cobra - , prevents the binding of the cobra neurotoxin (red).   In humans, there is no sugar on the receptor therefore the neurotoxin binds to it. Neurotoxin binding prevents signal binding to the receptor leading to muscle paralysis.
In humans:
Cobra neurotoxins bind to human receptor causing muscle paralysis.		 In the cobra:
Cobra neurotoxin binding is pevented by sugar in the cobra.
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