Course Contents

1. Measuring toxicity and assessing risk: Introduction; chemistry of toxicants; toxicity testing methods; routes of exposure; determining the responses to varying doses of substances; time of exposure; the LD50 experiments; toxicity, hazards and risks. 2. Toxicokinetics: Introduction; pharmacokinetics and toxicokinetics; absorption: the oral, respiratory and dermal route of exposure, distribution, elimination, toxicokinetic models: mathematical models of elimination; absorption and bioavailability; contrasting kinetics of lipophilic substances. 3. Biotransformation: Introduction;Primary biotransformation (phase I reaction) Hydrolysis, oxidation, reduction, Secondary metabolism (phase II reaction) Glucuridination, Glutathione conjugation, acetylation and other phase Ii reactions, factors influencing metabolism. 4. Cellular sites of action: Introduction, interaction of toxicants with proteins, effect of toxicants on enzymes, receptors and ion channels, voltage activated ion channels and transport proteins;, Effects of toxicants on lipids and nucleic acids, Mechanism of cell death; apoptosis, necrosis, stress, repair and recovery.

Course Synopsis

Course will be taught through lectures consulting recommended books along with different practicals

Course Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to understand different types of toxicants around us and their mode of action. The students will learn the differential effects of variety of toxicants on different cellular sites.