Question: What is the is poison Ricin made from?

Answer: Ricin is found naturally in castor beans and is a waste product left over from the production of castor oil.

The beans are the seeds of the castor oil plant Ricinus Communis.

When the beans are used to make castor oil a left over product from the process is a type of mash which the ricin is found in.

Due to their poisonous ricin content, castor beans should not be eaten by humans or animals.

If a complete, unprocessed castor bean is ingested, the poisonous ricin will then be released into the body. The ricin itself accounts for around 3% of the beans total weight.

If deliberately purified or refined with the intention to harm, ricin could also prove poisonous if inhaled. Under normal circumstances though, people and animals would never be exposed to ricin in this form.