Deep-Sea Worm Produces Toxic Yellow Pigment Used in Masterpieces
Originally Published 4 months ago — by Nature
A deep-sea worm, Paralvinella hessleri, is the first known animal to produce orpiment, a toxic yellow pigment historically used by artists, by accumulating arsenic particles that react with sulfide in hydrothermal vent environments to form a microscopic armor, offering protection in its extreme habitat.