Which term describes the disease state resulting from exposure to a poison?

• A. Toxicity
• B. Toxicosis
• C. Toxicology
• D. Chronic toxicity

Answer: (B)

Toxicosis is the disease state that results from exposure to a poison. It describes the clinical syndrome produced by a toxicant—the signs, symptoms, and pathology that define illness caused by poisoning. Toxicity, by contrast, refers to the inherent harmful potential or degree of harm a substance can cause, not the illness itself. Toxicology is the scientific study of poisons and their effects. Chronic toxicity specifies long-term adverse effects from prolonged exposure, which is a subset of toxicosis rather than the general disease state. So the correct term for the disease state arising from poison exposure is toxicosis.