Toxicology Summary Course Work

TOXICOLOGY Lecture NotesIntroduction to Toxicology Toxicology?Toxicology is the study of how natural or man-made poisons cause undesirable effects in living organisms. What are harmful or adverse effects? Harmful or adverse effects are those that are damaging to either the survival or normal function of the individual.What is Toxicity? The word “toxicity” describes the degree to which a substance is poisonous or can cause injury. The toxicity depends on a variety of factors: dose, duration and route of exposure to shape and structure of the chemical itself, and individual human factors.What is Toxic? This term relates to poisonous or deadly effects on the body by inhalation (breathing), ingestion (eating), or absorption, or by direct contact with a chemicalWhat is a Toxicant? A toxicant is any chemical that can injure or kill humans, animals, or plants; a poison. The term “toxicant” is used when talking about toxic substances that are produced by or are a by-product of human-made activities. For example, dioxin (2,3-7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin {TCDD}), produced as a by-product of