unit 7: toxicology Flashcards
toxicology:
study of drugs, poisons, toxins
poisons:
substances that are absorbed through the skin, gut, or inhaled
toxins:
poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms
venom:
poisonous substance secreted by animals and injected through bite or sting
toxicologists:
- examines the effects of substances on the body
- establishes a cause and effect from the exposure
- develops treatments and techniques for detection
substances toxicologists look for:
- misused legal drugs
- illegal and controlled drugs
- environmental toxins
methods of exposure:
ingesting, inhaling, injections, absorbtion
3 ways someone is exposed to a toxin:
- intentionally- prescription medicine
- accidentally- poisoned
- deliberately- suicide
toxins can be detected through examining:
- blood
- sweat
- tears
- stomach content
- fluids from eyes
- urine
- hair
toxicity:
the degree to which a substance is harmful
toxicity depends on:
- dose- how much you take
- duration- length of the exposure
- nature of the exposure- how it got in your system
- interaction- medical, alcohol, etc.
- by-products broken down- some makeup can break down into toxins
399 B.C.
Socrates poisoned with hemlock
1600s
arsenic used by rich people to poison rival families and to settle dispute
1800s
chemical analysis to detect arsenic and other poisons in human tissues
1959
FDA formed- evaluates products used in foods, drugs, and cosmetic
1970s
controlled substance act
1978
Georgi Markov stabbed with umbrella and injected with ricin capsule
2006
Litvinenko poisoned with polonium exposure
evidence can be found as:
- pills
- powders
- liquids
- botanical matters (seeds, leaves, mushroom)
- crystals
- embedded in food, paper, candy
- objects
- clothing
addiction:
a physical process associated with drug use whereby a person craves a drug; failure to take the drug can result in withdrawal symptoms
dependency:
a powerful craving for a drug; unlike addiction, dependency does not result in physical withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation
tolerance:
a condition occurring with consistent use of one drug whereby a person needs more and more of the drug to produce the same effect