PHA3800 Fundamentals of toxicology
Faculty of Science
PHA3800 Fundamentals of toxicology is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 at Malaysia. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 1
- Malaysia
- Assessment
- Exam 50%
- and 4 other tasks
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Overview
Toxicology is the biological, chemical and pharmacological study of poisons. You will be introduced to environmental, food, forensic, clinical and occupational toxicology. This unit presents the broad science of toxicology to facilitate the understanding of the principles and mechanisms of the action of poisons on specific organ systems. It examines the response of each body system to poisons and the specific effects of a wide range of toxic agents - from pesticides to radiation. In addition sources of toxins, toxicokinetics, toxicity testing and risk assessment are studied to enable you to understand how to predict and eliminate the potential risk of toxicity to humans and animals. The topics taught include general principles of toxicology, dispositions of toxicants, non-organ-directed toxicology, target organ toxicity, toxic agents, environmental toxicology and applications of toxicology.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Malaysia | On campus |
Assessment
- Practical reportsDemonstration25%
- Writing assignmentWritten10%
- Oral group presentation assignment (online/F2F)Presentation10%
- Mid-semester testQuiz / Test5%
- Examination (2 hours and 10 minutes)Examination50%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Demonstrate the basic principles of toxicology and the behavioural mechanisms of various toxicants targeting different organ systems.
- 2
Deduce the general pharmacokinetics, biotransformation and toxicokinetics of xenobiotics in whole organisms.
- 3
Critically evaluate the adverse effects of chemicals, metals, radioactive materials, and animal and plant toxins on living organisms.
- 4
Present the different stages of carcinogenesis and assess the effects of toxic agents on the alteration of genetic materials and growth development.
- 5
Demonstrate an appreciation towards environmental toxicology that includes air pollution and ecotoxicology.
- 6
Perform and critically evaluate risk assessments of general toxicants, and propose appropriate safety precautions.
- 7
Foster teamwork, perform good laboratory practice, and communicate research observations/ findings in the form of written reports and presentations.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials12 hours
- Practical activities36 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachOnline learning
- Three 1-hour lectures;
- One 3-hour practical class;
- One 1-hour tutorial and
- Five hours of independent study per week
Tutorial session will be conducted to reinforce the understanding of the students towards the leacture topic(s) of the week.
Lecture topics will be released to students for reading prior to the actual lecturer session. The current online learning platform will be Guroo.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Klaassen, C & Watkins III, 2015, Casarett and Doull’s Essentials of Toxicology 3 rd Edn, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Klaassen, C, 2018, Casarett & Doulls Toxicology The Basic Science of Poisons 9 th Edn , McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Tan Ji Wei
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Tan Ji Wei
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for PHA3800?
PHA3800 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is PHA3800 offered?
In 2025, PHA3800 runs in Semester 1 at Malaysia.
Does PHA3800 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 4 other tasks.