How does antivenin work?
Moment of Um
American Public Media
4.4 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 15 January 2025
⏱️ 6 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Some snakes make a chemical in their bodies called venom. They use it to hunt and protect themselves. Sometimes, if a human gets bitten by a snake, they need to take a special medicine called antivenin. How does this medicine work? We asked pediatrician Emma Gerstenzang to help us find the answer.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | From the brains behind brains on, this is the Moment of Um. |
| 0:15.2 | Moment of Um comes to you from 8pm Studios. I'm Willie McBeans, the Adventure Queen. |
| 0:22.0 | Um... |
| 0:23.8 | In my life, I've been on countless incredible expeditions, explorations, and even an exploit or two. |
| 0:35.8 | I've seen some things that would make you weep with joy, |
| 0:39.1 | like the sunset over the Himalayas. |
| 0:41.7 | I've seen other things that would make you hoot and holler with hilarity, |
| 0:45.4 | like an elk with a tumbleweed caught on his antlers like a toupee made out of sticks. |
| 0:50.9 | That was a good one. |
| 0:53.6 | You know, it still gets me. |
| 0:55.8 | One time, I was in the desert in Arizona, hiking with some friends. |
| 0:59.6 | I was so blown away by the gigantic cacti and stunning red rocks around me that I forgot to look |
| 1:06.5 | where I was putting my feet, and I stepped on the tail of a baby rattlesnake that was basking in the sun on the trail. |
| 1:12.9 | Yooch! |
| 1:14.4 | That snake was as startled as I was, and did what scared snakes do. |
| 1:18.7 | It bit me. |
| 1:21.1 | It sure did hurt. |
| 1:23.6 | The hike turned into a hospital trip. |
| 1:25.8 | A doctor gave me a shot of some anti-venom medicine, |
| 1:28.9 | and I felt better in a couple days. |
| 1:31.4 | I never learned how that medicine worked, but I'm sure glad it did. |
| 1:35.8 | Olivia was wondering about anti-venom, too, |
... |
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