Intro to Toxicology
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What is Toxicology?
The study of adverse effects of chemicals on the body
Chemicals can be considered…?
Poisons Toxins Toxicants Xenobiotics
Poisons
Any agent capable of causing harm in a biological system
Toxins
Toxic substances produced BY a biological system
Types of Toxins?
Phytotoxins (plant-based) Zootoxins (animal-based) Bacteriotoxins (bacterium-based)
Toxicants
Toxic substances produced by human activity
Xenobiotics
Any substance not normally found within the body
Toxicity
The adverse effects that a chemical may produce
Dose
The amount of a chemical that gains access to the body
Exposure
Contact which provides the opportunity of obtaining a poisonous dose
Hazard
The likelihood that toxicity will be expressed
Over what percentage of poisonings happen at home?
90%
Household products implicated in most poisonings…
Cleaning solutions Fuels Medicines Glue Cosmetics
Certain animals secrete xenobiotic poison which we call _______ while others harbor _______?
Venom; infectious bacteria
Some ______ are poisonous to humans and animals
Household plants
A career in toxicology
involves evaluating the bodily effects of drugs, contaminants, and other toxins
Toxicology is carried out in what types of settings?
Government, private, industry, universities, and research settings
Toxicologists use many sophisticated tools to determine the risk of these chemicals, such as?
Computer simulations, molecular biology, cell culture, genetically-engineered laboratory animals, as well as many, many chemical experiments
What do toxicologists do?
most work to develop a mechanistic understanding of how chemicals affect living systems
What does toxicology work lead to?
Developing safer chemical products, developing safer drugs, determining risks for chemical exposures, developing treatments for chemical exposures, teaching
Mechanistic toxicologists
study how a chemical causes toxic effects by investigating its absorption, distribution, and excretion They often work in academic settings or private industries and develop antidotes
Descriptive toxicologists
evaluate the toxicity of drugs, foods, and other products They often work in a pharmaceutical or academic setting
Clinical toxicologists
usually physicians or veterinarians interested in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of poisoning cases Often work in hospitals or animals hospitals and have specialized training in emergency medicine and poison management
Environmental toxicologists
study the effect of pollutants on organisms, populations, ecosystems, and the biosphere They usually work within a state or federal laboratory, or private organizations