CHEM 341 Toxicology and Cancer (Same as Environmental Studies 341) (Not offered 2006-2007; to be offered 2007-2008)

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. A basic understanding of organic chemistry will be required.
Format: lecture, three hours per week. 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.
Prerequisites: Chemistry 156. May be taken concurrently with Chemistry 251/255. No enrollment limit (expected: 24).