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 to determine (or make the best estimate we can of) the amount of chemical to which a person is exposed, and the effects of that amount. This is called the dose-response relationship (or the similar name, 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 three 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.
As you cruise through the lessons there is a frame on the left with buttons. The buttons include a glossary and a map. The excellent glossary has brief explanations of most of the biological words you will see in the lessons. When you are done looking up a word in the glossary, use the back button to get back to where you were, or you can click on the map button. 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