Toxicity

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/toxicity

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Toxicity?Predictive toxicology, omics technologies, microbiome interactions, endocrine disruptors
2. What is the evolutionary significance?Toxicity as a defense mechanism (aposematism) and offensive tool (predation)
3. What is the regulatory standards?PELs (Permissible Exposure Limits), ADIs (Acceptable Daily Intakes), environmental quality standards
4. What does the word "toxicity" mean?Toxicity is how dangerous a chemical, physical, or biological substance can be to living things. Scientists measure it by seeing how much of it is needed to hurt or kill a group of animals.
5. Why do some animals have bright colors and are poisonous?Bright colors warn predators that the animal has toxins inside. This helps the animal stay safe by telling others not to eat it.

Toxicokinetics: The study of how a substance is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted by the body.
Toxicodynamics: The study of the biochemical and physiological effects of a toxic substance on the body.
Aposematism: The warning coloration or signaling of an animal that is dangerous or unpalatable to predators.
Biomagnification: The increasing concentration of a substance in organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.