The branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms.
Questions tagged [toxicology]
164 questions
75
votes
3 answers
Why shouldn't dogs eat chocolate?
I was wondering why dogs shouldn't eat chocolate. Can't dogs just excrete the indigestible component in their droppings?
It's common knowledge that dogs shouldn't eat chocolate. What I don't know is why chocolate would kill them, from a specifically…
rockinboy3303
- 761
- 1
- 5
- 7
33
votes
8 answers
Is there anything that is completely non-toxic to humans at any dose?
Lately I have seen a number of unrelated "scientific" debates over whether certain substances should be outlawed because they are toxic to humans. My initial, informal reaction is usually to respond that anything is toxic to humans if you give them…
KutuluMike
- 440
- 1
- 4
- 8
29
votes
5 answers
Are there any substance that are more dangerous at low dose than at higher dose?
It is commonly admitted that
The dose makes the poison
which means as a person, the more I take a substance, the more risk I take for my health.
There is even an indicator called LD50 (see Median Lethal Dose), which specifies the 'lethal dose' at…
JBE
- 423
- 4
- 4
26
votes
2 answers
How is heavy water detrimental to the human body?
Heavy water (D2O) is known to be lethal to humans and other life in large quantities. All I've been able to find on the toxicity is that it's similar to chemotherapy chemistry. I'd like to know precisely how having a single neutron in two atoms of…
a3dur4n
- 379
- 3
- 5
23
votes
2 answers
How can the organic mercury compound Thiomersal be not dangerously toxic?
My intuition tells me that organic mercury compounds are absolutely toxic. Unimaginably, fundamentally, extremely and uncompromisingly toxic.
I know that is not true for all doses.
Thiomersal is the organomercury compound that was used in vaccines…
Volker Siegel
- 939
- 1
- 7
- 22
21
votes
3 answers
Why is hydrofluoric acid so dangerous if it is a weak acid?
I've read that hydrofluoric acid (HF) is extremely dangerous to touch, but what exactly makes it so toxic? It's a weak acid ($K_a = 7.2 \times 10^{–4}$) and dissociates approximately 1/1000 as much as hydrochloric acid does in water, so why is it so…
Gordon Gustafson
- 3,683
- 4
- 26
- 29
18
votes
2 answers
Why does black and yellow indicate danger?
It is a well-known fact that combination of black and yellow indicates danger or poisonousness.
In western society it seems obvious this comes from bees and wasps, but it seems like many tropical frogs use yellow and black. Black and yellow also…
Probably
- 2,420
- 4
- 18
- 37
16
votes
3 answers
How does the human body metabolize gasoline?
A Chinese man has been drinking gasoline to relieve his pain for 25 years. How does the human body metabolize gasoline? Also, what are the side-affects to gasoline?
Dale
- 1,637
- 1
- 12
- 25
15
votes
3 answers
Why is venom more common in fish and snakes than other vertebrates?
Reading this question, I wondered why is it that we associate vertebrate venoms so often with snakes and fish, and more rarely with lizards, amphibians, mammals, and birds (apparently never, in birds?).
Are venoms more advantageous for snakes and…
Oreotrephes
- 5,839
- 1
- 28
- 54
15
votes
2 answers
Is antivenom fatal?
Antivenom is used for curing snake bites. Is it fatal when used without being bitten by a snake?
ihvvgh
- 167
- 1
- 3
14
votes
1 answer
Grapefruits and CYP3A4
Grapefruit juice contains furanocoumarins, which irreversibly inhibit CYP3A4. For this reason, when one is taking certain medications it is necessary to not eat grapefruits because the inhibition of CYP3A4 can reduce how much of the drug is…
Michael
- 241
- 1
- 2
- 7
12
votes
4 answers
Is nicotine toxic to humans?
More specifically, is nicotine in the concentrations that smokers receive when smoking cigarettes toxic? I know that in great enough concentrations it can be toxic (but then, so can just about anything else, including oxygen) and I know that in…
terdon
- 12,753
- 5
- 44
- 73
11
votes
1 answer
Why is funnel web spider venom so lethal to humans and not so much for other mammals?
According to the information from this article,
People and other primates are exquisitely sensitive to funnel web venom but, intriguingly, other mammals such as mice, rabbits, guineapigs, dogs and cats are relatively immune and often survive 100…
user3795
11
votes
2 answers
How did zootoxins evolve?
I've always wondered how toxins in certain organisms have evolved. Particularly, organisms that produce toxins as a deterrent to predators as opposed to organisms that use it to paralyze their prey.
Where did this toxicity come from? How did it…
humanoid
- 221
- 1
- 5
10
votes
1 answer
How does methamphetamine (meth) damage neurons?
Meth is considered to be neurotoxic by forming reactive oxygen species and oxidizing the neurons. But unlike dopamine, which, by the way, is neurotoxic due to ROS induced dopaminergic stress, meth does not have any oxygen atom, and thus cannot be…
kirill2485
- 466
- 3
- 13