Exposure and Fate of Xenobiotics in the Organism

Code:

TCAEM03

Acronym:

EDXO

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Biology

Instance: 2024/2025 - 1S (of 16-09-2024 to 14-02-2025)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Microscopy
Course/CS Responsible:	Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MTCAEM	10	Oficial Plan 2020	1	-	3	21	81

Teaching language

Portuguese and english

Objectives

1) provide students with an organic / systemic view on the Exposure and Fate of Xenobiotics in the Organism (based on the human organism and integrating with some examples of other species);

2) that students work on the theme in order to build an integrative perspective of the programmatic topics covered;

3) that students develop skills for rapid and critical decoding of information published within the scope of the curricular unit program;

4) that students gain more practical skills within the scope of the topics covered in the program.

Learning outcomes and competences

1) Ability to analyse specific cases reported in scientific articles or from other sources, within the programmatic topics of the course, derived from experimental situations or not, and to be able to decipher the message conveyed with a critical view of it, integrating it with the concepts to be learned;

2) Increase in the capacity to research, identify and summarize burning issues in the area, working individually or in group dynamics;

3) Increase in the ability to work in a laboratory environment and to interpret and describe results of laboratory experiments in the context of the themes.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

General knowledge about: Exposure, Absorption and Distribution of Toxic. Toxic Metabolism. Chemical and Physiological Influences on Metabolism. Elimination of Toxic.

Program

The teaching-learning program offers content within the scope of the course's title theme, developing the following topics (not necessarily in the order indicated): Developmental Toxicology and Teratogenic Effects; Carcinogenesis and Chemical Mutagenesis; Hepatotoxicity; Nephrotoxicity; Reproductive System Toxicity; Neurotoxicity; Toxicity to the Endocrine System; Respiratory Toxicity; Blood Toxicity and Immunotoxicity. During the development of the Program, selected cases are studied, tested and discussed in practical activities. Practical classes cover the topics of neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption and teratogenicity.

Mandatory literature

Curtis Klaassen, John Watkins; Casarett & Doull's Essentials of Toxicology (4th Edition), McGraw Hill / Medical, 2021. ISBN: 1260452298
Karen E. Stine, Thomas M. Brown; Principles of Toxicology, 3rd Edition,, CRC Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-0071847087

Complementary Bibliography

Curtis D. Klaassen; Casarett & Doull's Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons, 9th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education / Medical, 2018. ISBN: 978-1259863745
John Timbrell, Frank A. Barile; Introduction to Toxicology (4th Edition), CRC Press, 2023. ISBN: 1032036923
Morton Lippmann, George D. Leikauf; Environmental Toxicants: Human Exposures and Their Health Effects 4th Edition, Wiley, 2020. ISBN: 1119438802

Teaching methods and learning activities

Expository, semi-directive teaching and the use of active and cooperative learning strategies.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	10,00
Exame	60,00
Trabalho laboratorial	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	60,00
Frequência das aulas	21,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

Attendance: according to UPorto Pedagogical Norms (presence in 3/4 of classes T and P), except for the exceptions contemplated in the Law.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final grade is derived from the following elements:

A = Final Multiple Choice Exam (60% of the classification).

B = Reports of the practical classes (30% of the final grade). Each Report is delivered to the teachers (as we will detail), by default until the day before the next practical class (according to the defined time limit). In the case of the last class, the delivery is up to the deadline defined by the Master's Direction. Failure to deliver one report by the deadline implies the attribution of 0 values to all students involved in that Report.

C = Quality of performance in classes and attendance (10% of the final grade). For this aspect, the quality of individual performance will be taken into account according to attitude, attention, intervention, professionalism, dedication and presence.

Each item is ranked first on a scale of 0 to 20, then the weighted % is applied. There is no minimum grade in any component. The student is approved if the final grade is equal to or higher than 9.50 values.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

A special exam will be made available to all students who are legally entitled to do so, on a date to be agreed with the teacher, in accordance with the practice in force at ICBAS.

Classification improvement

After approval of the curricular unit, students may request an improvement in the final written exam component.

Observations

Complementary teaching materials in digital format will be made available through the SIGARRA and / or Moodle platform.