Haemotoxins, hemotoxins or hematotoxins are toxins that destroy red blood cells, disrupt blood clotting, and/or cause organ degeneration and generalized tissue damage. The term haemotoxin is to some degree a misnomer since toxins that damage the blood also damage other tissues.

Many zootoxins are potent hemotoxins, where hemotoxin is defined broadly as an agent that alters blood flow (hemodynamics), destroys red blood cells (hemolysis), disrupts hemostasis (i.e., a coagulotoxin), or injures blood vessel walls (i.e., a vasculotoxin).

Other articles where hemotoxin is discussed: venom: Hemotoxins affect the blood or blood vessels: some destroy the lining of the smaller blood vessels and allow blood to seep into the tissues, producing local or widespread hemorrhages, while others render the blood less coagulable or cause abnormally rapid clotting, leading to circulatory ...

Snake venoms are mixtures of numerous proteinacious components that exert diverse functional activities on a variety of physiological targets. Because the toxic constituents found in venom vary from species to species, snakebite victims can present ...

The main processes within neuro-muscular junction known to be affected by snake venom sPLA2 crotoxin: 1—binding to a specific site at presynaptic membrane (presumably to N-type sPLA2 receptor); 2—a general membrane-destabilizing effect and phospholipolysis; 3—translocation across the membrane using the synaptic vesicle recycling machinery; 4—binding to proteins …

The term hemotoxin is to some degree a misnomer since toxins that damage the blood also damage other tissues. An injury due to a hemotoxic agent is often very painful, and permanent damage, such as loss of an affected limb, is possible even with prompt treatment.

A hemotoxin is a toxin that acts by lysing erythrocytes. Venoms of this kind disrupt blood clotting and severely damage internal organs and other body tissues.