Question

Read the passage. snake venom and blood pressure british scientist sir john vane was studying hypertension, or high blood pressure, a serious condition that increases the risk of death from heart disease and other problems. he was intrigued by the venom of the bothrops jararaca pit viper. this snake's bite produces a dramatic drop in blood pressure, causing victims to collapse suddenly. vane reasoned that if scientists could learn how pit viper venom lowers blood pressure, they might be able to create a medicine that uses a similar mechanism. in the 1970s, vane and his colleagues conducted many experiments with the venom to try to isolate the components that affect blood pressure. they discovered that the venom blocks the production of angiotensin, a hormone in the human body that constricts blood vessels and consequently raises blood pressure. as vane had predicted, these findings led to the development of a new group of medications, ace inhibitors. these medicines are now widely used to treat hypertension. what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?

Answer 1

The main or central idea of the passage is that British scientist Sir John Vane's research on the bothrops jararaca pit viper's venom led to the discovery of a mechanism to lower blood pressure, resulting in the development of widely used medications called ACE inhibitors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage discusses Sir John Vane's investigation into hypertension and his focus on the venom of the bothrops jararaca pit viper. The main idea revolves around Vane's hypothesis that understanding how the snake venom lowers blood pressure could lead to the development of medicines. The key discovery is that the venom blocks the production of angiotensin, a hormone that raises blood pressure, leading to the creation of ACE inhibitors. The central theme is the successful application of scientific research on snake venom to the development of medications for treating hypertension.