Toxicology Flashcards
what is toxicology?
the study of adverse responses in biological systems caused by chemical or physical agents
what are the two main aspects of toxicology?
the basic science (the nature and mechanisms of effect) and risk assessment (likelihood that effect will occur)
what is the overall principle of toxicology?
the dose makes the poison
what are the different types of toxins?
- phytotoxins
- mycotoxins
- animal toxins
- synthetic toxins
what are mycotoxins?
a natural toxin produced by fungi
what are phytotoxins?
a natural toxin produced by plants
what is a natural toxin? what are the different types?
- a toxin produced by living systems for self defense
- mycotoxin, phytotoxin, animal toxin
what toxins are present in daffodils?
- galantamine, which is found in the bulb
- calcium oxalate crystals in the stem
what does galantamine do?
- is a competitive inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, which usually breaks down acetylcholine
- since ACh cannot be broken down, the synapses are flooded with ACh, which can paralyze you
what do calcium oxalate crystals do?
they irritate
what do lily of the valley contain? what can this cause?
- contain lycorine poison and glycosides
- can cause cardiac arrythmia and stop the pumping mechanism of the heart
what do cardiac glycosides do?
- inhibit the Na/K pump
- so cardiac myocytes gain Ca+
- increases contractibility and risk of arrythmias
what does the oleander plant contain?
cardiac glycoside in high concentration in the leaves
where is ricin found?
castor oil beans
what are the two components of ricin and what do each do? how are they linked together?
- A: active – inactivates ribosomes so disrupts protein synthesis
- B: allows it to enter cells
- linked together by disulfide bond
how potency of ricin (what is lethal dose)?
very potent, only ~1mg needed to kill adult
animal toxins tend to target which systems? what are the names of the types of toxins?
CV (cardiovascular toxin) and nervous (neurotoxin)
what are man-made toxins?
toxins that we as humans release into the environment
where do man-made toxins end up? how does this occur?
- they gradually leak into the soil and water, which can then spread to different places
- can also get into air, and can then be deposited with rain somewhere else
poisoning are usually due to what?
drugs
what is household toxicology?
toxins that can be anywhere in the house
deaths are more often from ____ that are consumed ______ (for children)
drugs ; in the house (for children specifically)
people usually wash their fruits and vegetables because they want to wash away __________ but we should also worry about __________
- pesticides
- possibility of viruses and bacteria due to high handling
Diet: the large amount of ____________ can be viewed as a toxin?
salt, saturated fats, and additives
toxicity to the unborn: toxicants cane affect ______________ as well as _____
- male and female fertility
- the fetus
what are the major ways we are exposed to pollutants?
- soil
- air
- water
which body parts can pollutants affect? what are the major ones?
- can affect basically anything in the body
- mainly CV and nervous
- we are sensitive in the GI tracts, so can also cause nausea and enteritis
what is the major source of pollution in developed vs undeveloped countries?
- developed usually air since water monitored closely
- undeveloped: water
which causes more deaths/sickness: chronic or acute toxicity?
chronic
what is the effect of breathing in fine particles?
damage to the heart, lungs, and brain
can our body eliminate fine particles when we breath them in? How or why not?
only some of them:
- the larger ones get trapped on the muco-ciliary blanket so get eliminated more easily
- smaller ones can go down to the distal airways and can be phagocytosed by alveolar macrophages
- but, ultra-fine particles can diffuse through alveoli and can go to capillary and get transported everywhere in the body, including the brain
ultra-fine particles are said to have what affect on children?
impaired development
what are the different route of entry for fine particles into the brain?
- alveoli to blood
- olfactory bulb
- from GI, which can then affect the microbiome