Introduction Flashcards
What is toxicology?
The science and study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms
What is the general approach to major toxicants?
Source of exposure, susceptible species, toxicity/risk, ADME and mechanism of action, clinical and anatomical pathology, clinical signs, tentative or definitive diagnosis, and treatment
What is a poison?
Any substance, whether solid, liquid, gas or energy emitting that, when introduced into or applied to a living entity, can by its inherent chemical and physical properties interfere with normal physiological function.
What is a toxin?
Toxicant (poison) that originate from biological processes
What is a xenobiotic?
Any substance, harmful or not, that is foreign to the body
What is toxicity?
The relative potency of a toxicant or can refer to the outcome of exposure
What is toxicosis?
A pathologic condition that results from exposure to a toxicant
What is a hazard?
Intrinsic capability of a substance to cause harm
What is a risk?
Likelihood of poisoning occurring under specified conditions of usage
How can you classify a toxic substance?
By target organ, intended use, source, effect, chemical composition, mechanism of action, type of toxic response or toxicity
What is a threshold dose?
Minimally effective dose that evokes a stated all or none response, above which effects can be detected
What is a graded response?
The toxic effects become more severe as the dose increases
What is a quantal response?
An all or none response
When is the dose-response relationship used?
In risk assessment to establish quantitative estimates of the potential health and environmental significance of various types of chemical exposures
What are the two types of dose-response relationships?
Individual or graded (dose related increase in the severity of the response) and quantal (distribution of responses in a population to different doses, used to define susceptibility and resistance due to biological variation)
