Forensic Science Toxicology

Toxicologist

a scientist who studies poisons, drugs, and their effects on the body

forensic toxicologist

toxicologist who works on legal cases (crimes, accidents, deaths)

excretion

removal of substances from the body (urine, sweat, etc.)

circulation

movement of substances through the bloodstream

absorption

how a substance enters the body (through skin, lungs, stomach, etc)

metabolism

how the body chemically breaks down substances

inhalation

breathing in a substance

ingestion

swallowing a substance

injection

introducing a substance directly into the body (needle)

acute exposure

short-term exposure to a substance (usually high dose)

chronic exposure

long-term exposure over time (usually lower doses)

presumptive alcohol consumption

estimating alcohol use based on evidence (like behavior or test results)

Volume of alcohol formula

MALES : Volume of Alcohol (oz) = weight x BAC/3.78

FEMALES: Volume of Alcohol (oz) = weight x BAC/4.67

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

percentage of alcohol in a person’s blood

Death Investigation (post-mortem)

examining body after death to determine cause (including toxins)

doping control

testing athletes for banned substances

Human performance test

evaluating how drugs/alcohol affect skills (like driving)

workplace drug test

testing employees for drug use

narcotics

drugs that relieve pain and can cause sleep or addiction

stimulants

drugs that speed up the body (increase energy, alertness)

depressants

drugs that slow down the body (calming, reduce brain activity)

hallucinogens

drugs that alter perception and cause hallucinations

abuse

improper or harmful use of a drug

tolerance

needing more of a substance to get the same effect

dependency

body relies on a drug to function normally

addiction

strong, uncontrollable, need to use a drug despite harm