Toxicology is the science of poisons: what makes a substance harmful, how it gets into the body, what damage it does, how much is too much, and what can be done about it. It sits between chemistry, biology, and medicine.

Toxicology toxicology（毒物學） is是 the science of poisons研究毒物的科學: what makes a substance harmful什麼東西讓一種物質有害, how it gets into the body它怎麼進入身體, what damage it does造成什麼傷害, how much is too much多少算太多, and what can be done about it以及能怎麼處理。It它 sits between chemistry, biology, and medicine介於化學、生物學和醫學之間。

Three settings matter most. In forensic toxicology, scientists test a dead or living person's blood and tissue for drugs, alcohol, or poison — this is where the common phrase 'toxicology report' comes from, and after a sudden death people often wait weeks for the toxicology results. In clinical toxicology, doctors treat people who have taken too much of something. In regulatory toxicology, scientists decide what level of a chemical is safe in food, water, medicine, or a factory.

Three settings有三個場合 matter most最重要。In forensic toxicology在forensic toxicology（法醫毒物學）裡, scientists test a dead or living person's blood and tissue for drugs, alcohol, or poison科學家會檢驗死者或生者的血液和組織，看有沒有藥物、酒精或毒物 — this is where the common phrase 'toxicology report' comes from常聽到的「toxicology report（毒物檢驗報告）」就是從這裡來的, and after a sudden death people often wait weeks for the toxicology results突然過世之後，家屬常常要等好幾個禮拜才能拿到毒物檢驗結果。In clinical toxicology在clinical toxicology（臨床毒物學）裡, doctors treat people who have taken too much of something醫生負責治療服用過量物質的病人。In regulatory toxicology在regulatory toxicology（法規毒物學）裡, scientists decide what level of a chemical is safe in food, water, medicine, or a factory科學家決定食物、水、藥物或工廠裡，一種化學物質的安全標準是多少。

The idea at the centre of the subject is dose: toxicology does not divide the world into poisons and non-poisons, but asks how much of a substance, taken how, over how long, causes harm. That is why toxicologists like the old saying that the dose makes the poison.

The idea at the centre of the subject is dose這門學科的核心概念是「劑量」: toxicology does not divide the world into poisons and non-poisonstoxicology不是把世界分成毒物和非毒物, but asks how much of a substance, taken how, over how long, causes harm而是問一種物質、用什麼方式、吃了多久，才會造成傷害。That is why這就是為什麼 toxicologists like the old saying毒物學家喜歡那句老話 that the dose makes the poison劑量決定毒性。

It is a technical word, but it is common in news reports, so learners meet it more often than most science words.

It is a technical word這是個專業術語, but it is common in news reports但在新聞報導裡很常見, so learners meet it more often than most science words所以學習者遇到它的機會比大多數科學詞彙都要多。