Toxicology

Toxicology (from the Greek words toxicon and logos) is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. It is the study of symptoms, mechanisms, treatments and detection of biological poisoning, especially the poisoning of people. The chief criterion regarding the toxicity of a chemical is the dose, i.e. the amount of exposure to the substance. It is safe to say that almost all substances are toxic under the right conditions. As Paracelsus, the father of modern toxicology said, "dose determines the poison". Paracelsus, who lived in the 16th century was the first person to explain the dose response relationship of toxic substances.

Reference

• Amdur MO, Doull J, Klaassen, CD. 1993. Cassarett and Doull's Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc.

Lewis M. Gash MDD

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• Gilbert, Steven G. A Small Dose of Toxicology ? The Health Effects of Common Chemicals. CRC Press, Boca Raton, February 2004, p 266. ? see web site http://www.asmalldoseof.org