logo
Products
Technologies
Applications
Services
Resources
Selection Guides
About
What is the most important determinant of toxicity?
Posted April 16, 2021

Answer

Toxicity is the quality or degree of being toxic or poisonous. The dose of a substance is the most important determinant of toxicity. Dose by definition is the amount of a substance administered at one time. The most important are the number of doses, frequency, and total time period of the treatment. Types of doses include: 

  • Absorbed dose: the amount of a substance that entered the body through the skin, eyes, lungs, or digestive tract and was taken up by organs or particular tissues. Absorbed dose can also be called internal dose.
  • Administered dose: the quantity administered usually orally or by injection (note that an administered dose taken orally may not necessarily be absorbed).
  • Total dose: the sum of all individual doses.