Conium maculatum

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/conium-maculatum

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Conium maculatum
2. What is the native range?Europe and North Africa
3. What does poison hemlock look like?Poison hemlock can grow up to 8 feet tall, with hollow stems that have dark maroon spots. It has pretty white flowers that look like other garden plants.
4. Why is poison hemlock so dangerous?It contains a chemical called coniine that blocks nerve signals in the body. This can cause muscles to stop working and can be fatal if swallowed.

Neurotoxin: A poison that acts specifically on the nervous system, disrupting its function.
Neuromuscular Blockade: The interruption of nerve signals to muscles, preventing them from contracting.
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonist: A substance that blocks the action of acetylcholine at its specific receptor sites in the nervous system.
Biennial Plant: A plant that completes its life cycle in two growing seasons, typically vegetative growth in the first and flowering/seeding in the second.