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Questions and Answers
What is the primary focus of clinical toxicology?
What is the primary focus of clinical toxicology?
Which of the following is NOT a common way in which the toxic effects of poisons are expressed?
Which of the following is NOT a common way in which the toxic effects of poisons are expressed?
What is the key difference between a poison and a toxin?
What is the key difference between a poison and a toxin?
Which branch of toxicology is primarily concerned with providing information for safety evaluations and regulatory purposes?
Which branch of toxicology is primarily concerned with providing information for safety evaluations and regulatory purposes?
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What is the difference between a 'toxin' and a 'poison' as defined in the text?
What is the difference between a 'toxin' and a 'poison' as defined in the text?
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Which of the following is NOT considered a characteristic used to classify toxic agents?
Which of the following is NOT considered a characteristic used to classify toxic agents?
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What is the term used to describe the state of illness caused by exposure to poison?
What is the term used to describe the state of illness caused by exposure to poison?
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What is the difference between 'dose' and 'dosage' as defined in the text?
What is the difference between 'dose' and 'dosage' as defined in the text?
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What is the common cause of accidental poisoning in young children, as mentioned in the text?
What is the common cause of accidental poisoning in young children, as mentioned in the text?
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Which of the following is NOT a type of poisoning mentioned in the text?
Which of the following is NOT a type of poisoning mentioned in the text?
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Flashcards
Toxicology
Toxicology
The study of adverse effects of chemicals or poisons on biological systems.
Descriptive toxicologist
Descriptive toxicologist
Focuses on toxicity testing to evaluate safety and regulatory compliance.
Mechanistic toxicologist
Mechanistic toxicologist
Identifies ways chemicals exert toxic effects on living organisms.
Environmental toxicology
Environmental toxicology
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Toxicosis
Toxicosis
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Toxicologist
Toxicologist
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Toxicity
Toxicity
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Poison
Poison
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Types of Poisoning
Types of Poisoning
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Accidental Poisoning
Accidental Poisoning
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Study Notes
Toxicology Definition
- Toxicology is derived from two Greek words: toxikon (meaning poison) and logos (meaning study).
- It is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals or poisons on biological systems.
- It involves identifying poisons, understanding their chemical properties, and studying their biological effects.
- Toxicology also includes the treatment of diseases caused by poisons.
Types and Areas of Toxicology
- Descriptive toxicology: Focuses directly on toxicity testing, safety evaluation, and regulatory requirements (e.g., drugs, food additives).
- Mechanistic toxicology: Aims to identify and understand the mechanisms by which chemicals exert toxic effects on living organisms.
- Forensic toxicology: Investigates the medicolegal aspects of chemical harm, primarily in human cases (e.g., post-mortem investigations).
- Clinical toxicology: Focuses on diseases caused by or uniquely associated with toxic substances.
- Environmental toxicology: Investigates the impact of chemical pollutants in the environment on biological organisms, specifically on non-human organisms (e.g., fish, birds, terrestrial animals).
Toxins and Poisons
- Poison: Any solid, liquid, or gas that disrupts cellular life processes, causing physiological or psychological disorders. Synonyms for poison include toxicant.
- Toxin: Substances originating from biological processes (classified as biotoxins). They are capable of causing harmful effects in biological systems.
- Toxicosis: The disease state resulting from exposure to a poison or poisoning and intoxication.
Toxicological Concepts
- Toxicologist: Studies the nature of the adverse effects of toxins at various levels (molecular, cellular, organ, organism, community), understanding how these agents affect systems and how these systems affect the agents.
- Toxicity: The amount of a poison that, under specific conditions, causes toxic effects or detrimental biological consequences. Expressed as milligrams (mg) of toxicant per kilogram (kg) of body weight.
- Dosage: The total amount of toxicant received by a person.
Toxic Agents
- Toxins are often produced by biological sources (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria).
- Toxic agents are classified by various characteristics:
- Target organs (e.g., liver, kidney)
- Use (e.g., pesticide, solvent)
- Origin (e.g., animal, plant)
- Effects (e.g., cancer, liver injury)
- Chemical stability or reactivity (e.g., explosive, flammable)
- Chemical structure (e.g., aromatic amine)
- Biochemical mechanisms of action (e.g., alkylating agent)
- Physical state (e.g., gas, dust, liquid)
- Poisoning potential (ranging from extremely toxic to slightly toxic).
Poisoning Types
- Poisoning: A condition caused by introduction of a substance resulting in ill health or death.
- Four types of poisoning:
- Accidental: Unintentional exposure (e.g., mishaps at work or school)
- Suicidal: Intentional ingestion of poisons or overdose of drugs
- Homicidal: Deliberate killing of a person by another via administration of poison
- Non-accidental: Exposure (e.g., child abuse) may not present as a clear poisoning, but underlying harm exists.
Poison Classification
- Local action(corrosives): Direct impact on the affected area (e.g., skin irritation, inflammation from strong acids or alkalis).
- Remote action: Poison absorbed into the body, affecting other systems (e.g., alcohol).
- Local and remote actions: Affecting both local and remote organs (e.g., irritant metals, oxalic acid).
- General action: Poison affects more than one body system (e.g., mercury, arsenic).
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Description
Explore the fundamentals of toxicology, including its definitions, types, and areas of study. This quiz covers concepts like descriptive, mechanistic, forensic, and clinical toxicology, as well as environmental aspects. Test your knowledge on how toxins affect biological systems.
