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| Image credit: http://www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_safety.asp This table is concerned about the number of drug raids conducted with the number of people arrested due to drug-related violations. Drug addiction in the Philippines has been alarming for its increasing rates. Mostly, young people are the ones involved of the said problem. The Philippine government implemented laws to solve the current dilemma, however, because of illegal production; it becomes difficult for them to take hold of it. |
Paracelsus (1493-1541) stated that “All substances are
poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a
poison from a remedy.” Toxicology is
defined as a branch of science that deals with poisons and their harmful effect in the human body. It is the study
of how natural or man-made substances can cause unwanted effects in a living
individual.
To further more understand the meaning of toxicology, some
important terms are included.
- Toxic – it is a term relating to a poisonous material that is capable of causing deadly effects by exposure with a chemical.
Routes of exposure involved are via inhalation, ingestion,
absorption, or by a skin or direct contact.
- Toxicity – It describes the degree to which a certain substance can be poisonous or can cause injury. It usually depends on different factors: dose, route of exposure, duration, shape or structure of the drug and some individual human factors.
- Selective toxicity – it means that a substance will produce an injury to a one kind of organism without harming another, though both may exist together.
Drug mechanism
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This figures show the interplay
between the absorption,
distribution, metabolism and excretion of a drug.
Image credit:
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Absorption
Absorption takes place when a toxin
(naturally derived) or a toxicant (man-made toxic chemical) was able to cross
cell membrane. Before a compound is able to reach a tissue, it is usually taken
in the bloodstream.
Storage
Substances are stored on the
following tissues: adipose tissues, bones (chemicals that are similar to calcium),
blood, liver and kidney, etc.
Distribution
The substances are released from
storage. Distribution determines the concentration of a drug in a particular
tissue. A drug is usually subjected to various distribution processes to lower
its plasma content.
Metabolism
As soon as they enter to the body,
the compounds break down. As metabolism takes place, the initial compound is to
be converted to other new compounds (metabolites) and usually reduces its
effect in the body.
Excretion
Through kidneys, compounds and their
metabolites are needed to be removed in the body. Until excretion is complete,
the accumulation of foreign substances can cause adverse effects in the body’s
normal metabolism. The three sites where drug excretion occurs are kidneys
(through urine), fecal or biliary excretion (through waste products or feces),
and lungs.
Sub-disciplines of Toxicology
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Sub-discipline
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Concern
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Environmental
Toxicology
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Study
of chemicals which contaminate food, water, soil, or atmosphere.
How
a variety of plants, animal, and humans are affected by the exposure to toxic
substances
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Industrial
Toxicology
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Cornered
of the effects (usually health effects) from the exposure of the workers to
the chemicals in their workplace.
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Food
Toxicology
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It
is involved in the delivery of edible and safe supply of food to the people.
The
additives are studied to determine at what amount they may generate adverse
effects.
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Clinical
Toxicology
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Concerned
with the diseases associated with exposure to toxic substances.
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Forensic
Toxicology
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It
is used to determine lethal effects that result from the exposure to toxic
substances. It is used to establish the cause and effect relationship between
exposures to a drug
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To furthermore understand Toxicology, please watch this video.
Video credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lCQ96LKOyM
Thanks for reading! Please look forward to my next post :)
