Our bodies are continually exposed to a wide range of molecules that can disrupt cellular function, have the potential to cause cellular damage, or may even result in death. Many of these molecules are classified as allergens, toxins, poisons or venoms. These might include heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and nickel, bioterror agents such as ricin and sarin, animal venoms, bacterial toxins, and allergens such as peanut proteins to name but a few. Sometimes they work alone, sometimes they may be part of a broader viral or bacterial infection.
This course will provide you with an oversight of how the human body recognises and responds to common allergens, toxins, venoms and poisons. It will look at the biological basis of their action and our response to them. It will explain why our response to exposure is sometimes the most dangerous part. This will help you understand why some of these molecules are more dangerous than others and why they can affect different people in different ways. Over the duration of the course we will explore some of the major bacterial toxins, metabolic and mitochondrial poisons, venoms, and allergenic compounds from a variety of sources.
Learning outcomes
- To develop an understanding of how the human body recognises and responds to dangers such as allergens, poisons, toxins and venoms.
- To be able to explain why some common molecules are a danger to humans.
- To recognise that toxins, poisons, venoms and allergens can function in either very specific ways, or with broad-ranging effects.