What is Toxicology?
It is the study of adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biological agents on living organisms and the ecosystem, including the prevention and amelioration of such adverse effects. It basically includes all the observations as well as communicating symptoms, procedures, detection and therapeutics of toxic substances , in particular relation to the poisoning of humans .
Toxicology is subdivided into various fields of study depending on diverse factors. For example, it includes environmental agents and chemical compounds found in nature , in addition to pharmaceutical compounds that are produced and manufactured for medical purposes by humans. All these substances have one thing in common ! Toxins & Toxic effects leading to disruption of growth patterns, causing discomfort, disease and finally Death.
“All things are poison, and nothing is without poison, the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.” – Paracelsus
Why Toxicology is Needed? What is the purpose of Toxicology?
- The study of toxicology provides protection to humans and environment from toxic effects of toxicants.
- This study will ultimately lead toward the development of newer, innovative and more selective drug therapies to treat different ailments having reduced toxic potential to human body.
Importance of Dose
A quantity of a medicine or drug taken or recommended to be taken at a particular time is termed as Dose. It is an important factor in Toxicology as it has a notable relationship with the ramifications experienced by the individual. All substances have the ability to be toxic / poisonous if it is provided to living organisms in the appropriate conditions and dose .
Toxicology uses LD50. It refers to the quantity of the dose that exhibits toxicity & kills 50% of a test population . To test toxicity in labs, researchers use rats or other surrogates . So, in a nutshell it can be said that greater exposure to a chemical leads to higher risk of toxicity.
You will be learning more about this in details in upcoming sessions.
Branches of Toxicology
1. OCCUPATIONAL TOXICOLOGY
- It is the application of the principles and methodology of toxicology toward chemical and biologic hazards encountered at work.
- Occupational toxicologist prevent adverse health effects in workers that result from their work environment.
2. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
This includes the study of the effects of chemicals on organisms in their natural environments and in the ecosystems to which they belong.
3. REGULATORY TOXICOLOGY
- Regulatory toxicologists help governments to formulate regulations and put them into practice.
- Their advice and decisions help to minimise the risk presented by chemicals which may be hazardous to human health and the environment.
4. MECHANISTIC TOXICOLOGY
- It is the study of how chemical or physical agents interact with living organisms to cause toxicity.
- A mechanistic toxicologist identifies the cellular, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms by which chemicals exert toxic effects on living organisms.
5. INDUSTRIAL TOXICOLOGY
It is the study of the harmful effects on humans by chemicals used in the workplace, the products produced by companies, and the wastes created in manufacturing.
6. CLINICAL TOXICOLOGY
Clinical toxicologists are responsible for providing advice on how to treat patients who have been poisoned with a drug or other substance, either accidentally or intentionally.
7.FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY
Forensic toxicology is the use of toxicology and disciplines such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to aid medical or legal investigation of death, poisoning, and drug use.
8.VETERNIARY TOXICOLOGY
A veterinarian toxicologist studies both naturally produced toxins that come from plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and phytoplankton, and the toxins that are a result of pharmaceuticals, feed additives, radiation and environmental agents.