[@zain_yousuf]

@zain_yousuf asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Does snakes venom consist of "living" cells/pathogens or is it a mere mixture chemical compounds?

What do you think?

[CliffordK]

Snake "Venom" would be a chemical, and is often harvested from snakes for various purposes.

However, any animal bite, including snake bites often carry with them a host of pathogens (living organisms) that can have serious secondary effects.  These pathogens would generally be slower acting than the venom, but could pose just as serious of a risk to the victim.