Abstract
Ultrastructural studies have shown that Black Widow Spider venom has dramatic effects on motor nerve terminals causing in amphibians and mammals the disappearance of synaptic vesicles and in mammals the degeneration of nerve endings. There are two deadly Australian Spiders, the Red Back (Latrodectus mactans hasseltii), a subspecies of the Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans), and the Funnel Web Spider (Atrax robustus), unrelated. Because the Black Widow and Red Back are closely related it was anticipated that their venoms would have similar actions. Pharmacological studies indicated that the Funnel Web Spider venom also acted by releasing acetylcholine. The action of these venoms on nerve endings was studied.
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