A body-systems approach to understand from a clinical perspective how xenobiotics, including pharmaceuticals and environmental contaminants, affect health by altering physiology. Also includes disposition of toxicants by the body, carcinogenesis, and genotoxicity. An introductory physiology course is required.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will be required to prepare a multi-stage
project that can take different forms, including a presentation
or a literature review and synthesis. Feedback will be provided
at each step of the process. Students will select topics germane
to their areas of research or career goals.
Athena Title
Physiological Toxicology
Prerequisite
VPHY 3100 or VPHY 3100E or VPHY 3107-3107D or CBIO 2210-2210L or CBIO 3710 or EHSC 2100 or PMCY 3000 or PMCY 3000E or POUL 4175 or POUL 4200/6200-4200L/6200L or WILD 4400/6400
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to perform calculations of dose and cumulative exposure, and of toxicant concentrations in different matrices.
Students will be able to interpret dose-response curves as they relate to toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of toxicants.
Students will be able to understand how processes of absorption, distribution, biotransformation (metabolism), and elimination (i.e., ADME) affect disposition of toxicants in the body.
Students will be able to predict how alterations in the ADME processes affect toxicant concentrations and the extent of toxicosis.
Students will be able to understand how methods of decontamination alter ADME of toxicants.
Students will be able to predict which methods of decontamination would be most effective for a given toxicant knowing the physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the toxicant.
Students will be able to understand for each organ system the basic physiology of the system.
Students will be able to integrate knowledge about the basic physiology of an organ system with mechanisms by which a toxicant alters physiology in order to understand how toxicants differentially alter
physiology to produce toxicosis.
Students will be able to predict the effects of a toxicant based on the mechanism by which the toxicant alters physiology.
Students will be able to understand how mechanisms by which a toxicant acts may result in effects across several organ systems.
Students will be able to compare and contrast the mechanisms and effects of toxicants in order to recognize trends vs. differences between toxicants.
Students will be able to understand how different substances are regulated at a federal level.
Students will be able to predict which federal agency is responsible for evaluating safety of a given substance.
Students will be able to be able to gather information, critically evaluate information sources, and integrate the information to inform decision-making processes regarding toxicants.
Topical Outline
Introduction and scope of toxicology
Dose response and toxicology-related calculations
Toxicokinetics, including absorption, distribution, biotransformation pathways, and elimination processes
Toxicodynamics and mechanisms of toxicity
Patient care and decontamination measures related to clinical toxicology
Target organ toxicity, including digestive, urinary, nervous, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, reproductive, hematopoietic/immune, and integumentary systems
Food toxicology
Regulatory toxicology, including regulation of pharmaceuticals and food
Toxicology-related careers
Additional topics may include toxic effects of metals, nanotoxicology, toxicology of radiation, zootoxins, and
pesticide toxicology
