Sub Module 3B, page 1
Toxicology I
Learning Goal: Familiarization with some toxicology concepts that are important in evaluating and characterizing the dose-response relationship.
In order to characterize health risk we need first to determine (or make the best estimate we can of) the amount of chemical to which a person is exposed. Next we determine the likely effects of that amount on people. This is called the dose-response relationship (AKA, exposure-response.) The science of toxicology provides information that aids us in describing the dose-response relationship. The next three modules will each contain a sub-module on toxicology. These will give you some appreciation for the science of toxicology. The main portion of the sub-module will be a lesson from Tox Tutor, a website of the National Library of Medicine. Here is the top page of the lessons, but read below before you go there. These lessons are presented well, although they are aimed at audiences with a little more biological training than most of you have. The lessons spend some time on issues important to food and drugs, which we don't need for our work, but will give you some useful background information.
There is a link on that first page to some lessons on anatomy and physiology, which you might glance at now, so you know where they are, if you need them. You should try all the little quizzes. After you click on an answer, you need to hit the forward arrow in the left-hand frame.
Some of this lesson will be familiar to you, some will be new. Our goal is familiarization, not memorization. However many of these terms will be used later in the course. You may want to bookmark the index to the glossary .
We will not do the entire Tox Tutor I lesson today.
Study these sections: Introduction, Dose and Dose Response (you can omit the sub-section on Therapeutic Index), Toxic Effects, Toxicity Testing Methods (omit Clinical Investigations).
Omit these entire sections: Interactions, Risk Assessment and Exposure Standards and Guidelines.
Now go to the Tox Tutor I