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Forensic Science > Intro to Toxicology > Flashcards

Intro to Toxicology Flashcards

1
Q

What is Toxicology?

A

The study of adverse effects of chemicals on the body

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2
Q

Chemicals can be considered…?

A

Poisons
Toxins
Toxicants
Xenobiotics

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3
Q

Poisons

A

Any agent capable of causing harm in a biological system

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4
Q

Toxins

A

Toxic substances produced BY a biological system

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5
Q

Types of Toxins?

A

Phytotoxins (plant-based)
Zootoxins (animal-based)
Bacteriotoxins (bacterium-based)

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6
Q

Toxicants

A

Toxic substances produced by human activity

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7
Q

Xenobiotics

A

Any substance not normally found within the body

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8
Q

Toxicity

A

The adverse effects that a chemical may produce

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9
Q

Dose

A

The amount of a chemical that gains access to the body

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10
Q

Exposure

A

Contact which provides the opportunity of obtaining a poisonous dose

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11
Q

Hazard

A

The likelihood that toxicity will be expressed

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12
Q

Over what percentage of poisonings happen at home?

A

90%

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13
Q

Household products implicated in most poisonings…

A

Cleaning solutions
Fuels
Medicines
Glue
Cosmetics

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14
Q

Certain animals secrete xenobiotic poison which we call _______ while others harbor _______?

A

Venom; infectious bacteria

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15
Q

Some ______ are poisonous to humans and animals

A

Household plants

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16
Q

A career in toxicology

A

involves evaluating the bodily effects of drugs, contaminants, and other toxins

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17
Q

Toxicology is carried out in what types of settings?

A

Government, private, industry, universities, and research settings

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18
Q

Toxicologists use many sophisticated tools to determine the risk of these chemicals, such as?

A

Computer simulations, molecular biology, cell culture, genetically-engineered laboratory animals, as well as many, many chemical experiments

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19
Q

What do toxicologists do?

A

most work to develop a mechanistic understanding of how chemicals affect living systems

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20
Q

What does toxicology work lead to?

A

Developing safer chemical products, developing safer drugs, determining risks for chemical exposures, developing treatments for chemical exposures, teaching

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21
Q

Mechanistic toxicologists

A

study how a chemical causes toxic effects by investigating its absorption, distribution, and excretion

They often work in academic settings or private industries and develop antidotes

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22
Q

Descriptive toxicologists

A

evaluate the toxicity of drugs, foods, and other products

They often work in a pharmaceutical or academic setting

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23
Q

Clinical toxicologists

A

usually physicians or veterinarians interested in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of poisoning cases

Often work in hospitals or animals hospitals and have specialized training in emergency medicine and poison management

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24
Q

Environmental toxicologists

A

study the effect of pollutants on organisms, populations, ecosystems, and the biosphere

They usually work within a state or federal laboratory, or private organizations

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25
Q

Regulatory toxicologists

A

use scientific data to decide how to protect humans and animals from excessive risk

They usually work within regulatory agencies such as at the FDA and EPA

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26
Q

Some occupational exposure is controlled at a level beyond individual choice to avoid exposure

A

Regulatory toxicology

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27
Q

Groups that try to control exposures on a communal or global level

A

Communities or governments (leads to many regulatory agencies)

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28
Q

Who funds regulatory agencies?

A

Government

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29
Q

The research performed by these toxicologists also help establish the requirements by performing what?

A

Risk assessments

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30
Q

Regulatory toxicology provide assistance in the interaction between what?

A

Government and industry

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31
Q

“Virtually every medical achievement of the last century has depended directly or indirectly on research in animals”

A

U.S. Public Health Services

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32
Q

There are regulatory agencies put in place to prevent the mistreatment of animals used in research such as…?

A

the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

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33
Q

Any experimentation done on humans is first approved by…?

A

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

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34
Q

Forensic toxicologists

A

study the application of toxicology to the law

Use chemical analysis to determine causes and circumstances of death in a postmortem investigation

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35
Q

What do forensic toxicologists look for?

A

Look to see whether the level of substance present in the body at the time of death would be able to produce an altered state in the individual

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36
Q

Who do forensic toxicologists usually work within?

A

State or federal laboratory, or independently

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37
Q

Why is toxicology arguably the oldest scientific discipline?

A

Earliest humans had to recognize which plants were safe to eat

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38
Q

Most exposure of humans to chemicals is via what?

A

Naturally occurring compounds consumed from food (plants)

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39
Q

Humans are exposed to chemicals both _____ and _____

A

Inadvertently; deliberately

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40
Q

2700 BC

A

Chinese journals show the cataloging of food and fish poisons

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41
Q

1900 - 1200 BC

A

Egyptian documents have directions for the collection, preparation, and administration of more than 800 recipes, both medicinal and poisonous

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42
Q

800 BC

A

India writings contain Hindu medicines that show notes on both poisons and antidotes

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43
Q

50 - 100 AD

A

Greek physicians classify over 600 plant, animal, and mineral poisons via “De Materia Medica”

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44
Q

50 - 400 AD

A

Romans use poisons for executions and assassinations

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45
Q

Who was executed using hemlock for his teaching of radical ideas to the youth?

A

Socrates

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46
Q

1200 AD

A

Spanish rabbi, Maimonidies, writes a first-aid book for poisonings, Poisons and Their Antidotes

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47
Q

1493 - 1541 AD

A

Paracelsus!! Father of modern toxicology!

48
Q

Who was the Father of Modern Toxicology?

A

Paracelsus

“All substances are poisonous; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy.”

49
Q

1713 AD

A

Italian physician Ramazzini publishes De Morbis Artificium (Diseases of Workers)

50
Q

What does De Morbis Artificium describe?

A

“asthma” caused by health hazards in workers that deal with certain dusts, fumes, and gasses

51
Q

What Ramazzini described in De Morbis Artificium would be diagnosed as what today?

A

“Allergen-induced asthma” for bakers and horse riders

52
Q

The lung disease that was suffered by the other workers would be “pneumoconiosis,” which is what?

A

A group of dust-related chronic diseases

53
Q

1815 AD

A

Spanish physician, Orfila, establishes toxicology as a distinct scientific discipline

54
Q

Who established toxicology as a distinct scientific discipline?

A

Mathieu Orfila (Spanish physician)

55
Q

20th century (Ehrlich)

A

Paul Ehrlich develops staining procedures which assist in seeing toxicant influence on living organisms

56
Q

20th century (Carson)

A

Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring, which alarms public about the dangers of pesticides

57
Q

Environmental toxicants (pollutants)

A

Substances harmful to humans and the environment

58
Q

Pollutants (Enviro Toxicants) can be both _____ and _____?

A

Natural; man-made

59
Q

Public perception tends to think that _____ toxicants are more serious, but the reality is that _____ can be very serious

A

Man-made; both

60
Q

Many examples of diseases associated with specific occupations have been recorded in antiquity, but the seriousness was not evaluated because of societal concerns at the time

A

These include:
Miner’s Disease – 1533
Hill & Pott discoveries – 1761, 1775
Radium Dial Painters/”Aniline dye” workers – 1900
Shoe salesmen – 1950s
Industrial chemical workers – 1940s to present day

61
Q

Miner’s Disease (1533)

A

Came from inhaling metal vapors, foundation for the field of chemotherapy

62
Q

Which disease helped with the creation of Chemotherapy?

A

Miner’s Disease

63
Q

Hill (1761)

A

Linked tobacco (snuff) to cancer

64
Q

Pott (1775)

A

Linked soot (benzo(a)pyrene) to scrotal cancer in chimney sweeps

65
Q

Radium Dial Painters/”Aniline Dye” Workers (1900)

A

Painters licked their brushes to pull them to a point, resulting in radiation

66
Q

Shoe salesman (1950s)

A

Used a shoe-fitting fluoroscope, which resulted in repeated exposure for salesmen

67
Q

Industrial Chemical Workers (1940s to present)

A

Workers are exposed to a great number of carcinogens for a greater period of time

68
Q

These occupations present with a high risk of cancer

A

Healthcare workers
Pharmaceutical and laboratory workers
Refinery workers
Rubber workers
Furniture makers
Pesticide workers

69
Q

Due the toxicology concerns, various governmental programs were established

A

1906 – Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
1961 – Society of Toxicology
1970 – Environmental Protection Agency
1970 – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
1971 – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

70
Q

What must occur for the chemical to present a risk?

A

Exposure

71
Q

The magnitude of risk is proportional to both the _____ of the chemical and the _____?

A

Potency; extent of exposure

72
Q

“The dose makes the poison”

A

Extent may mean concentration or length of time and the extent of the exposure/dosage is what makes something poisonous

73
Q

Can a nontoxic chemical become toxic at a high enough dosage?

A

Yes

74
Q

Highly toxic chemicals may also be life-saving when given in the appropriate doses

A

Poisons may not be harmful at a sufficiently low dose

Chemotherapy is an example!

75
Q

Lethal dose

A

Dose which will cause death in the specimen (mice, humans, etc.)

76
Q

Sugar lethal dose

A

3 quarts

77
Q

Alcohol lethal dose

A

3 quarts

78
Q

Salt lethal dose

A

1 quart

79
Q

Herbicide lethal dose

A

One half cup

80
Q

Nicotine lethal dose

A

one half teaspoon

81
Q

Food poison (botulism) lethal dose

A

Microscopic

82
Q

Arsenic lethal dose

A

1-2 teaspoons

83
Q

Exposure can affect the toxicological response based on different what?

A

Routes of exposure
Frequencies of exposure
Durational of exposure (acute v. chronic)

84
Q

Routes of environmental exposure

A

Ingestion
Absorption
Injection
Inhalation

85
Q

Ingestion

A

water and food

Exposure is through the gastro-intestinal track, and may start as soon as the mouth

86
Q

Absorption

A

through skin

87
Q

Injection

A

bite, puncture, or cut

88
Q

Inhalation

A

breathing, air particles

89
Q

How are people able to protect themselves from environmental exposure?

A

by blocking these routes of exposure

90
Q

What contributes to dose?

A

Both duration and frequency

91
Q

What type of exposure is less than 24 hours in duration and usually entails just a single exposure?

A

Acute exposure

92
Q

Repeated or chronic exposures are classified as what?

A

Subacute
Subchronic
Chronic

93
Q

Subacute

A

repeated for up to 30 days

94
Q

Subchronic

A

repeated for 30-90 days

95
Q

Chronic

A

repeated for over 90 days

96
Q

Chronic exposures usually involve _______?

A

smaller amounts of toxicant

97
Q

Why is there a variety of responses among organisms that get the same dose of chemical?

A

Individual susceptibility

(also affected by caffeine intake and medication dosage…)

98
Q

Xenobiotics

A

foreign chemicals that aren’t synthesized within the body

99
Q

Xenobiotics may be naturally occurring chemicals produced by what?

A

plants, microorganisms, or animals

100
Q

Xenobiotics may also be synthetic chemicals that ______ produce?

A

humans

101
Q

Poisons are xenobiotics, but…

A

NOT all xenobiotics are poisons

102
Q

How do some xenobiotics cause toxicity?

A

By disrupting normal cell function

103
Q

How do xenobiotics disrupt normal cell function

A

Bind and damage proteins (structural or enzymatic)

Bind and damage DNA (mutations)

Bind and damage lipids (cell wall mechanisms)

React in the cell with oxygen to form “free radicals,” which damage lipids, protein, and DNA

104
Q

Types of toxic effects

A

Organ damage
Mutagenesis
Carcinogenesis
Teratogenesis
Death

105
Q

Mutagenesis

A

The change of genetic information which causes mutations

106
Q

Carcinogenesis

A

The creation of cancers

107
Q

Teratogenesis

A

The creation of malformations produced in an embryo or fetus

108
Q

Target organ toxicity: Certain toxins affect specific organs, which results in organ damage, including:

A

Central nervous system – Lead
Immune system – Isocyanates
Liver – Ethanol, Acetaminophen
Respiratory tract – tobacco smoke, asbestos, ozone
Eye – UV light (sunlight, eclipses)
Kidney – metals
Skin – UV light, gold, nickel
Reproductive system – dibromochloropropane

109
Q

How does the body prevent xenobiotic action?

A

Once the body is exposed to xenobiotics, it responds in the following pattern:
Redistribution
Excretion
Metabolism

110
Q

Redistribution

A

Moving the poison to areas around the body for further action

111
Q

Excretion

A

removing the xenobiotic by processes usually involving the kidney and liver

112
Q

Excretion works mostly for what kind of compounds?

A

Water soluble compounds

113
Q

Metabolism

A

Major mechanism for terminating xenobiotic activity

114
Q

What is the single, most important determinant of duration and intensity of toxic response?

A

Metabolism

115
Q

Metabolism involves which structures?

A

liver
kidney
lung
GI system
(and others)

116
Q

Redistribution and excretion are highly dependent on what?

A

Metabolism

Forensic Science (6 decks)

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