Knowra Biological weapon Biological weapon A weapon that uses pathogens or toxins to cause disease or death. Its effects may target people, animals, or plants and can spread beyond the intended area.
Pathogen : A biological agent that causes disease in a host. Some biological weapons use disease-causing organisms or viruses to produce infection.
Siege of Caffa : A 1346 siege of a Genoese trading post on the Black Sea during a Mongol military campaign. The siege is often cited in accounts of alleged plague use in warfare, though details remain disputed.
Chemical weapon : A weapon that uses the toxic properties of chemical substances to injure or kill. Chemical weapons rely on toxic chemicals rather than pathogens or biologically derived toxins.
Biological warfare : The use of biological agents to harm people, animals, or crops in armed conflict. Biological weapons are one means of conducting biological warfare.
Biological toxin : A poisonous substance produced by a living organism or derived from it. Toxins can cause harm without reproducing or spreading like infectious agents.
World War I : A global war fought from 1914 to 1918, primarily between the Allied and Central Powers. Covert attacks on livestock and animal feed during the war helped prompt international restrictions.
Nuclear weapon : A weapon that releases energy through nuclear fission, fusion, or both. Nuclear weapons cause immediate blast, heat, and radiation effects rather than infection.
Agricultural bioterrorism : The deliberate introduction of biological agents to damage crops, livestock, or food production. Biological attacks on plants or animals can disrupt food systems as well as cause disease.
Infectious disease transmission : The movement of an infectious agent between hosts or from an environmental source to a host. Transmission determines whether an agent's effects remain localized or propagate.
1925 Geneva Protocol : An international agreement prohibiting the use of chemical and bacteriological weapons in war. It established an early treaty ban on using biological weapons, though not on developing them.
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