Final Exam Flashcards
Toxic Vs. Hazardous
Hazardous refers to a dangerous physical or chemical agent. toxic refers to a substance with the potential to have adverse effects at certain concentrations.
Define “toxin”
Poison produced by living things
Define “Toxicant”
poison manufactured by humans or released by human activities
Define “Xenobiotic”
Substances “strange to” the organism
Define “toxicity”
Property of being poisonous
Define “Xenoestrogen”
A substance that imitates estrogen
Irritants
Corrosives, caustics, and other substances that damage tissue on contact
Asphyxiants
Any substance, especially a gas, that restricts or causes a reduced intake of oxygen into the body, leading to unconsciousness or death
Canarys in the coal mine
they were used to indicate when gas levels elevated to warn the miners to get out
Neurotoxin
Something that specifically attacks nerve cells
Respiratory fibrotic agent
cause formation of scar tissue o lungs which leads to reduced respiratory capacity
Allergens
Activate immune system response directly as antigens or indirectly by turning other substances into antigens
Endocrine Disruptors
Substances that interfere with or mimic the normal action of hormones (Example: BisPhenol A)
Carcinogens
Cancer causing agents
Teratogens
Results in birth defects by altering normal cellular differentiation or growth processes
Mutagens
Change the structure of genetic material
Major routes of exposure of toxicants
-inhalation
-skin contact/dermal absorption
-ingestion
Environmental factors affecting toxicity
1)Extrinsic
2)Intrinsic
Extrinsic factors affecting toxicity
1)Biotic: factors resulting from the activities of a living things or any living component in an environment
2)Abiotic: non-living factors that effect the living organism community, air, water, soil, temperature, and climate
Intrinsic factors affecting toxicity
1) Effects of previous exposure to toxicants
2)genetics
3)sex, age, life stage, activity level
4)nutritional status
5)disease status
6)stress
what are the four steps to toxicity?
1)delivery
2)reaction
3)cellular dysfunction and resultant toxicity
4)repair and adaptation
Modes of cellular dysfunction
Chemicals that causes DNA adducts, protein adducts, oxidative stress, and chemicals that specifically interact with protein targets
Red tide
common name used for a harmful algal bloom. High concentrations of karenia brevis, a microscopic marine algae. can cause death in aquatic life and respiratory issues in humans
Types of mutations
1)point mutation
2)chromosomal mutations
3)Genomic Mutations
How are mutagens detected?
1)Human exposures using historical data
2)animal tests
3)bacterial tests
