New Approach Methodologies (NAMs)

• In vitro: Studying something in a lab dish, like examining cells under a microscope.
• In silico: Using computer programs to predict things, like weather forecasting.
• Read-across: Comparing the safety of a new product based on similar ones, like assuming a new type of apple is safe to eat because it looks like a regular apple.
• Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR): Predicting how a chemical will behave based on its building blocks, like predicting how a car will drive based on its parts.
• Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP): Understanding how a small problem can lead to a big one, like how a tiny cut can get infected and cause a bigger problem .
• High-throughput screening (HTS): Rapid testing of a large number of compounds for biological activity. Imagine quickly testing thousands of potential drug candidates in less than a week.
• Organ-on-a-chip: A microengineered device mimicking the functions of a human organ. Like creating a tiny artificial liver.
• Data integration: Combining data from different sources to create a comprehensive picture. Like piecing together a puzzle.
• Uncertainty analysis: Evaluating the potential impact of uncertainties on the results of a study. Similar to considering the margin of error (p-value) in a scientific experiment.
• Weight of evidence: A process of evaluating multiple lines of evidence to reach a conclusion. Like a jury weighing the evidence from all the witnesses to reach a verdict.

Core Toxicology Terms

• Toxicity: The power of a substance to cause harm, like the strength of a poison.
• Toxicant: A harmful substance, similar to a dangerous chemical.
• Hazard: A potential danger, like a lurking threat.
• Risk: The chance of harm occurring, like the odds of getting sick.
• Dose: The amount of a substance given, comparable to a spoonful of medicine.
• Exposure: Contact with a substance, like touching a dirty doorknob.
• Dose-response relationship: The connection between the amount of a substance and its effect, similar to how eating more spicy food makes your mouth hotter.
• Acute toxicity: The adverse effects occurring within a short time after exposure to a substance. Imagine a sudden allergic reaction to a bee sting or an oil spill in the environment.
• Chronic toxicity: The adverse health effects occurring after repeated exposure to a substance over a long period. Think of the long-term effects of smoking.
• Genotoxicity: The ability of a substance to damage genetic material. Similar to how radiation can cause DNA mutations.
• Carcinogenicity: The ability of a substance to cause cancer. Like the link between smoking and lung cancer.
• Reproductive toxicity: The ability of a substance to interfere with reproduction. Think of how certain chemicals can affect fertility.
• Developmental toxicity: The ability of a substance to cause birth defects or developmental abnormalities. Similar to the effects of thalidomide on unborn babies.
• Bioaccumulation: The increasing concentration of a substance in an organism over time. Like how mercury builds up in fish.
• Biomagnification: The increasing concentration of a substance in the food chain. Think of how pollutants can become more concentrated in top predators.
• Metabolism: The biochemical process by which substances are broken down within an organism. Like how your body processes food.
• Pharmacokinetics: The study of how a substance enters, distributes, metabolizes, and exits the body. Similar to understanding how a drug works in your body.

Regulatory Aspects

• Chemical Safety Assessment: Checking how safe a new product is before it’s sold, like testing a new toy ingredient for safety.
• REACH: A set of rules for handling chemicals safely in Europe, similar to traffic laws.
• OECD Test Guidelines: Standard recipes for testing chemicals, like following a cookbook.
• Validation: Making sure a testing method works correctly by everyone and everywhere, like calibrating a scale.