toxicology
the study of drugs and poisons, and their interactions with or effects on the body
drug
a natural or synthetic substance that is used to produce physiological or psychological effects
forensic toxicology
application of toxicology in the law
40
approximately ___% of traffic deaths in the US are alcohol related
metabolism
the body's ability to break down chemicals
3 steps to metabolism
1) absorption
2) distribution
3) elimination
breath testing
the most widespread method for testing intoxication; it requires no less than 1.1 to 1.5 liters of breath to ensure that "deep-lung" breath is measured
blood analysis
calculated with a high degree of accuracy by use of gas chromatography which separates alcohol from any other chemicals
toxicologist
studies body fluid, tissue, and organs for drugs and/or poisons; may conduct postmortem pathological examinations, and examination of personal effects and empty containers, etc.; may have extremely minute quantities to test; must detect, identify, quantif
gas chromatography
separates out molecules that move up a thin coated plate; has a moving liquid and moving gas phase; the distance each component travels is based on the characteristics of that substance; compared to known samples
confirmation test
gas chromatography is completed first; then each separated component enters the mass spectrometer where the sample is broken into fragments for identification
1-3
drugs remain in the bloodstream for _____ days
7
drugs usually remain in the urine for up to _____ days
hair
drugs can remain permanently in _____ protein
behavior
once the drug is identified, the toxicologist must assess its influence on the _____ of the individual