Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

TOPIC 8.12 Lethal Dose 50% (LD50) Chelsi W - APES

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING EIN-3 Pollutants can have both direct and indirect impacts on the health of organisms, including humans.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE
EIN-3.A Define lethal Indicate True or False to each statement.
dose 50% (LD50) F
● ________ Every member of a single species will respond to exposure of a toxic chemical in the same way.
ESSENTIAL
F
● ________ Natural chemicals are always safer for the environment and human health than synthetic chemicals.
KNOWLEDGE EIN-3.A.1
F
● ________ Due to strict EPA regulations, there are no toxic chemicals in the environment today.
Lethal dose 50% (LD50)
is the dose of a chemical Listed here are the LD50 values for each chemical. Circle the chemical that is most toxic:
that is lethal to 50% of Chemical A: 17 mg/kg - Chemical B: 20 g/kg - Chemical D: 2 g/kg - Chemical E: 500 mg/kg
the population of a
particular species. Tests indicate that a chemical has an LD50 of 10mg/kg of body mass. What is the LD50 dose for a population of
organisms that have an average body mass of 6kg? Show your work.
10mg 6kg = 60mg
1kg 1

TOPIC 8.13 Dose Response Curve

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING EIN-3 Pollutants can have both direct and indirect impacts on the health of organisms, including humans.

LEARNING
OBJECTIVE It is ethically wrong to test dosages on humans, Animal rights groups would like to
EIN-3.B Evaluate
so animals are used instead. Explain at least reduce animal testing. Name at
dose response
curves. one limitation to animal testing. least two alternatives to animal
One limitation is animal tests often miss the most
important signs of toxicity in humans. testing.
ESSENTIAL It is extremely expensive which limits the number of Growing human cells & vitro
chemicals that can be tested. models
KNOWLEDGE I also think it is ethically wrong to test on animals, not just
EIN-3.B.1 A dose humans.
response curve What is the limitation of using these methods, Estimate the LD50 for
describes the effect rather than whole animal testing? 2 mg/kg
Toxin A ______
on an organism or The side effects and toxicity cannot be 3 mg/kg
Toxin B: ______
mortality rate in a predicted
population based The drug might work fine on test cell but B
on the dose of a there is no evidence as to how it will work Which chemical is more toxic? ____
particular toxin or on the body.
drug. Define Effective Dose (ED50) - The amount of a toxicant it takes to effect 50% of a population of test animals.
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