: A process where a relatively harmless substance is converted by the body into a toxic metabolite, potentially leading to cancer or organ damage. Major Subdisciplines The field is categorized by how toxicological data is used:
: Foreign substances (like drugs or environmental pollutants) that are not naturally found in the body. An Introduction to Toxicology
: The four critical processes that determine a chemical's fate in the body: A bsorption, D istribution, M etabolism, and E xcretion. : A process where a relatively harmless substance
: Toxins are naturally occurring poisons (e.g., snake venom), while toxicants are usually man-made byproducts. : Toxins are naturally occurring poisons (e
Toxicology is the scientific study of the adverse effects that chemical, physical, or biological agents have on living organisms. Often summarized by Paracelsus’s maxim, "the dose makes the poison," the field focuses on how the amount and duration of exposure determine the severity of a toxic response.