Dose makes the poison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dose makes the poison - Research Paper Example Our body itself is a combination of chemical elements and compounds. It is vital to divide the chemicals present in our environment into the good ones and the harmful ones. Moreover, also focus on how the toxic and deadly effects of the chemicals can be avoided is also of importance. The story of Strong Poison by Dorothy S. Layers revolves around a mystery case of the murder of Philip Boyes by arsenic poisoning. Harriet Vane is accused of the murder of her fiancà ©, as she is a crime novelist and knows an awful lot about the novel and all the evidence points in her direction. However, Lord Peter Wimsey is convinced of her innocence and struggles to convince the jury as well. The book discusses a great deal about the arsenic poisoning and the symptoms the victim suffers from, bringing the horrifying adverse effects of a toxic chemical under highlight. It is vital to understand what is toxic in our environment and can lead to adverse effects. A toxic substance is a substance that can be poisonous or cause health effects. Toxicity of a substance is not measured on the basis of its severity of effects; it can strike a single cell, a group of cells, an organ or the whole body. It is basically measured to the degree to which it is poisonous to biological organisms including humans. Chemicals toxicity is also dependent on the dose of the chemical, route of exposure, the duration and the number of incidents of exposure, and individual’s susceptibility. In 1500s, Philippus Aureolus brought forward the argument that a chemical can be entirely harmless or even advantageous at low concentrations but the same chemical can turn into toxic at higher levels. He stated, â€Å"All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy† (Trautmann). Indeed many chemicals which are beneficial at low concentrations even essential for human health can lead