ENVI 341 Fall 2012 Toxicology and Cancer

Cross Listed as CHEM341
What is a poison and what makes it poisonous? Paracelcus commented in 1537: "What is not a poison? All things are poisons (and nothing is without poison). The dose alone keeps a thing from being a poison." Is the picture really this bleak; is modern technology-based society truly swimming in a sea of toxic materials? How are the nature and severity of toxicity established, measured and expressed? Do all toxic materials exert their effect in the same manner, or can materials be poisonous in a variety of different ways? Are the safety levels set by regulatory agencies low enough for a range of common toxic materials, such as mercury, lead, and certain pesticides? How are poisons metabolized and how do they lead to the development of cancer? What is cancer and what does it take to cause it? What biochemical defense mechanisms exist to counteract the effects of poisons?
This course attempts to answer these questions by surveying the fundamentals of modern chemical toxicology and the induction and progression of cancer. Topics will range from description and quantitation of the toxic response, including risk assessment, to the basic mechanisms underlying toxicity, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and DNA repair.
Class Format: lecture, three hours per week
Requirements/Evaluation: evaluation will be based on two hour tests, a class presentation and paper, participation in discussion sessions, a self-exploration of the current toxicological literature, and a final exam
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Additional Info2:
Prerequisites: Chemistry 156; may be taken concurrently with Chemistry 251/255; a basic understanding of organic chemistry
Enrollment Preference:
Department Notes: this course is required for the Chemistry track through the Environmental Science major and satisfies the Natural World requirement for the Environmental studies concentration
Material and Lab Fees:
Distribution Notes:
Divisional Attributes: Division III
Other Attributes: BIMO Interdepartmental Electives, ENVI Natural World Electives,ENVS Environmental Biology Upper Level Electives,ENVS Environmental Chemistry Electives,INST Global Health Studies Electives,PHLH Science and Medicine
Enrollment Limit: 30
Expected Enrollment: 24
Class Number: 1057
ENVI341-01(F) LEC Toxicology and Cancer Division 3: Science and Mathematics David P. Richardson
MWF 11:00 AM-12:15 PM Chemistry 202 1057
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