Toxicology

Name: Urooba badar
ZAS/BS/ANAES/00644/2020
Department: Anesthesia and critical care
8th semester
Submitted to: DR AMIR
Topic: Introduction to toxicology
Definition of toxicology is "the study of the adverse effects of chemicals or physical agents
on living organisms” OR “the science of poisons”.
Types of toxicology
 Chemical Toxicology.
 Forensic Toxicology.
 Regulatory Toxicology.
 Occupational Toxicology.
 Clinical Toxicology.
1. Chemical Toxicology
Chemical toxicology is a subspecialty of toxicology that focuses on the structure of
chemical agents and how it affects their mechanism of action on living organisms.
2. Forensic Toxicology
Forensic toxicology is the analysis of biological samples for the presence of toxins,
including drugs. The toxicology report can provide key information as to the type of
substances present in an individual.
3. Regulatory Toxicology
Regulatory Toxicology encompasses the collection, processing and evaluation of
epidemiological as well as experimental toxicology data to permit toxicologically
based decisions directed towards the protection of health against harmful effects of
chemical substances.
4. Occupational Toxicology
Occupational toxicology is the application of the principles and methodology of
toxicology toward chemical and biologic hazards encountered at work. The primary
objective is to prevent the health related adverse effects in health care workers that
results from their work environment.
5. Clinical Toxicology
Clinical toxicology involves the research, prevention and treatment of diseases
caused by chemicals, drugs and toxins.
History and core concept of toxicology

The historical development of toxicology began with early cave dwellers who recognized
poisonous plants and animals and used their extracts for hunting or in warfare. Paracelsus was
one of the founders of modern toxicology. He determined that specific chemicals were actually
responsible for the toxicity of a plant or animal poison. He also documented that the body's
response to those chemicals depended on the dose received. His studies revealed that small
doses of a substance might be harmless or beneficial whereas larger doses could be toxic. This
is known as the dose-response relationship, a major concept of toxicology.
Evaluating clinical effects based on the amount of exposure is a basic toxicology principle called
dose-response. The dose is the total amount of chemical absorbed during an exposure. Dose
depends on the concentration of the chemical and duration (contact time) of the exposure.
Terminologies
TOXICANTS: Substances that produce adverse biological effects of any nature.
TOXINS: Specific proteins produced by living organisms.
POISONS: Toxicants that cause immediate death or illness when experienced in very small
amounts.
Toxicodynamics and Toxicokinetics

There are two key concepts including;
 Toxicodynamics refers to the signs and symptoms a toxic agent causes. It is a

quantitative description of the effects of a toxicant on a biological system. These effects
include a range of endpoints and products, ranging from the molecular level, to cells,
tissues, organ systems, and life-history traits. It is an essential toxicological counterpart
of pharmacodynamics that confers responses to a compound when exposed to different
organs/tissues in the body.
 Toxicokinetics refers to how the body metabolizes and eliminates the agent. There are
four key concepts in toxicokinetics: absorption, distribution, metabolism, and
elimination. The epithelial barriers that form the body’s interface with the environment,
and the cellular barriers that separate internal organs and tissues, have to be permeable
to a wide variety of chemicals to allow nutrient absorption and waste product
elimination. The permeability of these physiological barriers, however, also allows
toxicants to penetrate. Exposure to toxicants through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal
contact may therefore result in harmful absorption. The degree of adverse effects
following exposure to a toxicant is dependent on the rate and extent of absorption into
the body, distribution to susceptible organs and tissues, and specific interactions with
biological targets.
Role of medical technologist

They should be the first responders and should play the role in dealing with the people who’re
poisoned or who have overdosed. Initial management should be focused on acute stabilization
and supportive care till the correct substance is identified. The plan of management is to
provide supportive care, prevention of poison absorption, use of antidote wherever is
indicated, and enhancement of elimination techniques.
References
 https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/science/toxicology/
index.cfm
 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/
B9780323983679000263
 https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-
Toxicology.aspx#:~:text=Chemical%20toxicology%20is%20a
%20subspecialty,of%20action%20on%20living%20organisms.

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Toxicology

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Name: Urooba badar

Department: Anesthesia and critical care

Submitted to: DR AMIR

Topic: Introduction to toxicology

History and core concept of toxicology

TOXINS: Specific proteins produced by living organisms.

Toxicodynamics and Toxicokinetics

 Toxicodynamics refers to the signs and symptoms a toxic agent causes. It is a

Role of medical technologist

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