A chemical which is used to kill unwanted organisms such as
rats,
insects,
nematodes, etc. Pesticides often act as
nerve poisons, and they are
hazardous to animals and humans (some pesticides can cause
nerve or
liver damage,
birth defects and
cancer). See
biological magnification and
herbicide for related information.
From the BioTech Dictionary at http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/. For further information see the BioTech homenode.