CASE HISTORY
Tonya,age 32,was spending a warm June weekend at a beach in Massachusetts.The water near shore looked clear,although farther offshore the water had a reddish tint.Tonya dug up a pailful of clams and cooked them thoroughly.After dinner,her lips grew numb and her fingers tingled.She felt nauseated and had difficulty walking across the room.Her speech became slurred,but she managed to dial 911.The ambulance got her to the hospital in time for Tonya to have her stomach pumped and receive assistance breathing.The physician explained to Tonya that she had contracted paralytic shellfish poisoning from consumption of clams contaminated by an algal toxin.The toxin,called saxitoxin,accumulates in the clams as they feed on the algae;cooking does not affect the toxin.At that time,Massachusetts had a ban on shellfish because of a high population density of saxitoxin-producing algae,Alexandrium tamarense,a cause of "red tide."
Though Tonya suffered from consumption of saxitoxin,the organisms that produced it are valuable to humans as well.Explain how these myxotrophic organisms produce a product necessary to our respiration.

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The Answer of CASE HISTORY
Tonya,age 32,was spending a warm June weekend at a beach in Massachusetts.The water near shore looked clear,although farther offshore the water had a reddish tint.Tonya dug up a pailful of clams and cooked them thoroughly.After dinner,her lips grew numb and her fingers tingled.She felt nauseated and had difficulty walking across the room.Her speech became slurred,but she managed to dial 911.The ambulance got her to the hospital in time for Tonya to have her stomach pumped and receive assistance breathing.The physician explained to Tonya that she had contracted paralytic shellfish poisoning from consumption of clams contaminated by an algal toxin.The toxin,called saxitoxin,accumulates in the clams as they feed on the algae;cooking does not affect the toxin.At that time,Massachusetts had a ban on shellfish because of a high population density of saxitoxin-producing algae,Alexandrium tamarense,a cause of "red tide."
Though Tonya suffered from consumption of saxitoxin,the organisms that produced it are valuable to humans as well.Explain how these myxotrophic organisms produce a product necessary to our respiration.

CASE HISTORY Tonya,age 32,was Spending a Warm June Weekend at a Beach