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 and explore why, in some cases, it is this response that is dangerous. This will help you understand why some of these molecules are more dangerous than others and also why they can affect different people in different ways.
The course will be structured around a case study format in which you are provided with essential background information and then given the opportunity to explore the biological basis by which these molecules present a threat to human health and cellular function. For example we will explore some of the major bacterial toxins, metabolic and mitochondrial poisons, venoms, and allergenic compounds from a variety of sources.
