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Biochemistry
Periodic Graphics
Periodic Graphics: Ant venom and pheromones
Chemical educator and Compound Interest blogger Andy Brunning homes in on the chemicals that help the insects protect themselves and communicate.
by Andy Brunning
September 28, 2019
| A version of this story appeared in
Volume 97, Issue 38
Credit: Andy Brunning
Credit: Andy Brunning
To download a pdf of this article, visit cenm.ag/antvenom.
Take our quiz and test your Ant venom and pheromone knowlege
References used to create this graphic:
The Biochemical Toxin Arsenal from Ant Venoms
Ant Battle Yields Ionic Liquid
Slow-Motion Video Reveals How Ants Deliver Their Painful Venom
A collaboration between C&EN and Andy Brunning, author of the popular graphics blog Compound Interest
To see more of Brunning’s work, go to compoundchem.com. To see all of C&EN’s Periodic Graphics, visit http://cenm.ag/periodicgraphics.
UPDATE
This infographic was updated on Nov. 11, 2019, to clarify formic acid's role in ant venom. It is the predominant component in many ant venoms, not all of them.
Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © 2025 American Chemical Society
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