Detoxification

Elimination of toxins by an organism. This process is best known and applied for shellfish that have accumulated substances that are toxic to human beings (heavy metals, toxic phytoplankton, etc), which are put to "breathe" in water devoid of pollutants. By their own breathing, shellfish detoxify themselves. The human body also has biochemical detoxification processes to eliminate certain pollutants. Indeed, after their entry into organisms, pollutants undergo a biotransformation catalyzed by different enzymes, leading to an increase in the molecules solubility in water in order to facilitate their removal from the organism. The protein induction (in response to an "environmental stress") also plays a key role in the repair and/or removal of cellular proteins damaged by the xenobiotic.