toxochrome

Toxochrome is a term that has been used to describe pigments, particularly in biological contexts, that are associated with toxic or poisonous substances. The concept is not a formally defined scientific term with a single, universally accepted meaning. Instead, it generally refers to the color produced by a compound that is known or suspected to be harmful.

Historically, the term might have been applied to vividly colored compounds found in nature that were also poisonous, such as certain fungal or plant pigments. The color could serve as a warning signal to potential predators, a phenomenon known as aposematism. In some older literature, toxochrome might also have been used to denote a pigment whose presence indicated toxicity in a substance, even if the pigment itself was not the direct cause of the toxicity.

Modern toxicology and chemistry tend to focus on identifying specific chemical compounds and their toxicological properties rather than using broad descriptive terms like toxochrome. While the concept of colored toxins exists, scientists would typically refer to the specific chemical name of the toxin and its associated hazardous properties. The term "toxochrome" is therefore largely considered outdated or informal in scientific discourse.