What is Toxicology?
Today, toxicology is defined as the study of the adverse effects of external factors on an organism or a system. We are all aware that environmental chemicals, drugs, and constituents of our diet (collectively known as xenobiotics; “foreign to life”) are important subjects of study for toxicologists. Toxicologists also study physical factors that include ionizing radiation, UV light, electromagnetic forces, sound, and the like.
In addition to the study of the agents that might cause toxicity, modern toxicologists are equally interested in the inherent mechanisms that mediate both toxic insult and the biological or environmental sequelae. Thus, all approaches of modern science (molecular biology and genetics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, informatics, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, cell biology, behavior and physiology, etc.) are used daily in the field.
All of these scientific approaches are practiced by the training faculty of the Curriculum in Toxicology. Although one of our strengths is environmental toxicology, our Faculty’s research interests also include pharmaceuticals, dietary agents, radiation, as well as a focus on how xenobiotics are relevant to specific diseases.
For some interesting background, see:
- Chapter 1 of “Casarrett and Doull’s Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons.”
- Chapter 1 of “Introduction to Biochemical Toxicology” (E. Hodgson & R. Smart (eds) (3rd Edition).
- Anecdotes about Toxicology
- History of Toxicology
- The Society for Toxicology and their Career Guide