Irreversible toxic response | medicine (2024)

In poison: Reversible versus irreversible toxic responses

Toxic responses differ in their eventual outcomes; the body can recover from some toxic responses, while others are irreversible. Irritation of the upper respiratory tract by inhaled formaldehyde gas, for example, is rapidly reversible in that as soon as the inhalation exposure…

Read More

","url":"Introduction","wordCount":0,"sequence":1},"imarsData":{"HAS_REVERTED_TIMELINE":"false","INFINITE_SCROLL":"294778|1,455172|1,601211|1,66054|10,165521|5,275628|17,372431|12"},"npsAdditionalContents":{},"templateHandler":{"name":"INDEX"},"paginationInfo":{"previousPage":null,"nextPage":null,"totalPages":1},"uaTemplate":"INDEX","infiniteScrollList":[{"p":1,"t":294778},{"p":1,"t":455172},{"p":1,"t":601211},{"p":10,"t":66054},{"p":5,"t":165521},{"p":17,"t":275628},{"p":12,"t":372431}],"topicLeftRail":{"topicInfo":{"id":294778,"title":"irreversible toxic response","url":"https://www.britannica.com/science/irreversible-toxic-response","description":"Poison: Reversible versus irreversible toxic responses: Toxic responses differ in their eventual outcomes; the body can recover from some toxic responses, while others are irreversible. Irritation of the upper respiratory tract by inhaled formaldehyde gas, for example, is rapidly reversible in that as soon as the inhalation exposure…","type":"TOPIC","titleText":"irreversible toxic response","urlTitle":"irreversible-toxic-response","metaDescription":"Other articles where irreversible toxic response is discussed: poison: Reversible versus irreversible toxic responses: Toxic responses differ in their eventual outcomes; the body can recover from some toxic responses, while others are irreversible. Irritation of the upper respiratory tract by inhaled formaldehyde gas, for example, is rapidly reversible in that as soon as the inhalation exposure…","identifierHtml":"medicine","identifierText":"medicine","topicClass":"science","topicKey":"irreversible-toxic-response","articleContentType":"INDEX","ppTecType":"CONCEPT","gaTemplate":"INDEX","topicType":"INDEX","relativeUrl":"/science/irreversible-toxic-response","assemblyLinkPrefix":"/media/1/294778/"},"topicLink":{"title":"irreversible toxic response","url":"https://www.britannica.com/science/irreversible-toxic-response"},"tocTitle":"Directory","tocEntry":"References","toc":null,"quoteLink":null,"indexLink":null,"factsLink":null,"mediaLink":null,"media":null,"studentLinks":null,"relatedQuizzes":[{"id":8586,"title":"44 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Health and Medicine Quizzes","url":"/quiz/44-questions-from-britannicas-most-popular-health-and-medicine-quizzes","description":"How much do you know about human anatomy? How about medical conditions? The brain? You’ll need to know a lot to answer 44 of the hardest questions from Britannica’s most popular quizzes about health and medicine.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/215905-131-626D860A/Encyclopaedia-Britannica-thistle-graphic-logo.jpg","altText":"Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.","credit":"EB, Inc.","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/215905-131-626D860A/Encyclopaedia-Britannica-thistle-graphic-logo.jpg"},"type":"QUIZ","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"Text Multiple Choices","url":"/quiz/browse"},{"title":"Health & Medicine","url":"/quiz/browse/Health-Medicine"}],"lastItemTitle":"Health & Medicine"},"superCategory":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"Science-Tech","description":"Explore science and technology; astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","keywords":"astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","classId":"SCIENCE","sortOrder":2},"hashtags":["health","medicine","diseases","disorders","human body","psycholoy","brain","medical terms","medical pioneers","doctors","nurses","researchers","medical conditions","medical discoveries","organs","anatomy","viruses","bacteria","Britannica","Encyclopedia Britannica","quiz","quizzes"],"hashtagsString":"health, medicine, diseases, disorders, human body, psycholoy, brain, medical terms, medical pioneers, doctors, nurses, researchers, medical conditions, medical discoveries, organs, anatomy, viruses, bacteria, Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, quiz, quizzes","displayDate":[2020,10,27],"urlTitle":"44-questions-from-britannicas-most-popular-health-and-medicine-quizzes","featureSubType":"TEXT_MULTIPLE_CHOICE","categories":[{"id":3000,"title":"Health & Medicine","url":"Health-Medicine","description":"The study of the human mind and body, how these function, and how they interact—not only with each other but also with their environment—has been of utmost importance in ensuring human well-being. Research on potential treatments and preventive medicine has expanded greatly with the development of modern medicine, and a network of disciplines, including such fields as genetics, psychology, and nutrition, aims to facilitate the betterment of our health.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/07/192107-050-CE043374/anatomy-charts-human-body-muscle-systems-skeletal.jpg","altText":"Health & Medicine","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/07/192107-050-CE043374/anatomy-charts-human-body-muscle-systems-skeletal.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":3000,"title":"Health & Medicine","url":"Health-Medicine","description":"The study of the human mind and body, how these function, and how they interact—not only with each other but also with their environment—has been of utmost importance in ensuring human well-being. Research on potential treatments and preventive medicine has expanded greatly with the development of modern medicine, and a network of disciplines, including such fields as genetics, psychology, and nutrition, aims to facilitate the betterment of our health.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/07/192107-050-CE043374/anatomy-charts-human-body-muscle-systems-skeletal.jpg","altText":"Health & Medicine","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/07/192107-050-CE043374/anatomy-charts-human-body-muscle-systems-skeletal.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"Text Multiple Choices"}],"topQuestions":null,"readNext":null,"discover":[{"id":6720,"title":"Why Does the New Year Start on January 1? ","url":"/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1","description":"Hint: The answer involves a king.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/75/195675-131-47319E75/Fireworks-Sydney-celebration-New-Years-Eve.jpg","altText":"Sydney New Years Eve Fireworks","credit":"© siwawut/Shutterstock.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/75/195675-131-47319E75/Fireworks-Sydney-celebration-New-Years-Eve.jpg"},"type":"STORY","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"Demystified","url":"/stories/demystified"},{"title":"World History","url":"/stories/demystified/World-History"}],"lastItemTitle":"World History"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["demystified","New Year’s Day","January 1","Julian calendar","Gregorian calendar","Numa Pompilius","Julius Caesar","Pope Gregory XIII"],"hashtagsString":"demystified, New Year’s Day, January 1, Julian calendar, Gregorian calendar, Numa Pompilius, Julius Caesar, Pope Gregory XIII","displayDate":[2018,12,28],"urlTitle":"why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1","featureSubType":"DEMYSTIFIED","categories":[{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},{"id":8000,"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"Lifestyles-Social-Issues","description":"It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight for human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racism, environmentalism, gay rights, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg","altText":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"Demystified"},{"id":8157,"title":"The Largest Islands in the World","url":"/list/the-largest-islands-in-the-world","description":"Big, bigger, biggest.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/10/153510-131-EFC73A4D/Sisimiut-Greenland-Davis-Strait.jpg","altText":"Town of Sisimiut located on the coast of the Davis Strait on Kangerluarsunnguaq Bay, Greenland","credit":"© alvidia/Fotolia","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/10/153510-131-EFC73A4D/Sisimiut-Greenland-Davis-Strait.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/list/browse/Geography-Travel"}],"lastItemTitle":"Geography & Travel"},"superCategory":{"id":4,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"Geography-Travel","description":"Explore geography and travel; geographic regions; historical places; people of the world; countries, states, provinces, cities, and towns; languages; deserts, islands, mountains, plateaus; lakes, oceans, seas, rivers; national parks, tourist attractions","keywords":"geographic regions; historical places; people of the world; countries, states, provinces, cities, and towns; languages; deserts, islands, mountains, plateaus; lakes, oceans, seas, rivers; national parks, tourist attractions ","classId":"GEOGRAPHY","sortOrder":5},"hashtags":["islands","largest","biggest","area","island","land","geographical features"],"hashtagsString":"islands, largest, biggest, area, island, land, geographical features","displayDate":[2020,8,21],"urlTitle":"the-largest-islands-in-the-world","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":5000,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"Geography-Travel","description":"Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna, and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from that of centuries ago.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg","altText":"Geography & Travel","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":5000,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"Geography-Travel","description":"Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna, and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from that of centuries ago.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg","altText":"Geography & Travel","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":7583,"title":"Why Is Ireland Two Countries?","url":"/story/why-is-ireland-two-countries","description":"The island of Ireland contains both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, but what led to this separation?","image":{"id":0,"url":"/43/148643-131-2B2237A6/example-landscape-Irish-Ireland-Sligo.jpg","altText":"Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.","credit":"© NatesPics/Shutterstock.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/43/148643-131-2B2237A6/example-landscape-Irish-Ireland-Sligo.jpg"},"type":"STORY","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"Demystified","url":"/stories/demystified"},{"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"/stories/demystified/Geography-Travel"}],"lastItemTitle":"Geography & Travel"},"superCategory":{"id":4,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"Geography-Travel","description":"Explore geography and travel; geographic regions; historical places; people of the world; countries, states, provinces, cities, and towns; languages; deserts, islands, mountains, plateaus; lakes, oceans, seas, rivers; national parks, tourist attractions","keywords":"geographic regions; historical places; people of the world; countries, states, provinces, cities, and towns; languages; deserts, islands, mountains, plateaus; lakes, oceans, seas, rivers; national parks, tourist attractions ","classId":"GEOGRAPHY","sortOrder":5},"hashtags":["demystified","Ireland","United Kingdom","Dublin","Sinn Fein","European Union","Brexit"],"hashtagsString":"demystified, Ireland, United Kingdom, Dublin, Sinn Fein, European Union, Brexit","displayDate":[2020,2,11],"urlTitle":"why-is-ireland-two-countries","featureSubType":"DEMYSTIFIED","categories":[{"id":5000,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"Geography-Travel","description":"Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna, and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from that of centuries ago.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg","altText":"Geography & Travel","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg"}},{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":5000,"title":"Geography & Travel","url":"Geography-Travel","description":"Planet Earth contains some extraordinarily diverse environments, some of which are easily habitable and some not so much. In different areas of Earth, one might find sweltering deserts, dense tropical rainforests, or bone-chilling tundras. Each biome and habitat comes with its own selection of flora and fauna, and it may include physical features such as canyons, volcanoes, rivers, or caves. Human beings have built homes in many different environments, settling the area and organizing it into units such as cities, states, regions, and countries, each with its own points of interest. Shifting trends in human migration have resulted in a human geography that is profoundly different from that of centuries ago.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg","altText":"Geography & Travel","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/17/2317-050-758D0E55/World-map-descriptions-Herodotus-Black-Sea.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"Demystified"},{"id":6369,"title":"Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs","url":"/list/titanosaurs-8-of-the-worlds-biggest-dinosaurs","description":"The largest land animals of all time.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/14/196914-131-061D0CB0/Patagotitan-mayorum-titanosaurs.jpg","altText":"illustration of the walking titanosaurus, Patagotitan mayorum","credit":"© Kostyantyn Ivanyshen/Shutterstock.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/14/196914-131-061D0CB0/Patagotitan-mayorum-titanosaurs.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Science","url":"/list/browse/Science"}],"lastItemTitle":"Science"},"superCategory":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"Science-Tech","description":"Explore science and technology; astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","keywords":"astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","classId":"SCIENCE","sortOrder":2},"hashtags":["dinosaurs","titanosaurs","sauropods","paleontology"],"hashtagsString":"dinosaurs, titanosaurs, sauropods, paleontology","displayDate":[2023,5,22],"urlTitle":"titanosaurs-8-of-the-worlds-biggest-dinosaurs","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":5778,"title":"12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”","url":"/list/12-novels-considered-the-greatest-book-ever-written","description":"How many of these great novels have you read?","image":{"id":0,"url":"/55/142355-131-EFF621AF/books-Stack-literature-pile-reading-entertainment-society-2010.jpg","altText":"Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society","credit":"© Hemera/Thinkstock","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/55/142355-131-EFF621AF/books-Stack-literature-pile-reading-entertainment-society-2010.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Literature","url":"/list/browse/Literature"}],"lastItemTitle":"Literature"},"superCategory":{"id":2,"title":"Arts & Culture","url":"Arts-Culture","description":"Explore arts and culture; entertainment and pop culture, actors, comics, dance, film, food, music, theatre, tv; visual arts, architecture, fashion, painting, photography, sculpture; literature, fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry, short story; sports and recreation","keywords":"entertainment and pop culture, actors, comics, dance, film, food, music, theatre, tv; visual arts, architecture, fashion, painting, photography, sculpture; literature, fiction, nonfiction, plays, poetry, short story; sports and recreation","classId":"ART","sortOrder":6},"hashtags":["novels","literature","books","Anna Karenina","To Kill a Mockingbird","Invisible Man","The Great Gatsby","A Passage to India","Don Quixote","Beloved","Mrs. Dalloway","The Color Purple","Jane Eyre","Charlotte Brontë","Alice Walker","Toni Morrison","Miguel de Cervantes","F. Scott Fitzgerald","E.M. Forster","Ralph Ellison","Harper Lee","Leo Tolstoy","best","greatest","top","Chinua Achebe","Gabriel García Márquez","Things Fall Apart","One Hundred Years of Solitude","Nobel Prize for Literature","African literature","Latin American literature "],"hashtagsString":"novels, literature, books, Anna Karenina, To Kill a Mockingbird, Invisible Man, The Great Gatsby, A Passage to India, Don Quixote, Beloved, Mrs. Dalloway, The Color Purple, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Miguel de Cervantes, F. Scott Fitzgerald, E.M. Forster, Ralph Ellison, Harper Lee, Leo Tolstoy, best, greatest, top, Chinua Achebe, Gabriel García Márquez, Things Fall Apart, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Nobel Prize for Literature, African literature, Latin American literature ","displayDate":[2023,6,23],"urlTitle":"12-novels-considered-the-greatest-book-ever-written","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":12000,"title":"Literature","url":"Literature","description":"With the development of language, the human imagination has found a way to create and communicate through the written word. A literary work can transport us into a fictional, fantastic new world, describe a fleeting feeling, or simply give us a picture of the past through novels, poems, tragedies, epic works, and other genres. Through literature, communication becomes an art, and it can bridge and bond people and cultures of different languages and backgrounds.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/44/172844-131-9695C31F/word-communication-stress-accent-letters-syllable.jpg","altText":"Literature","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/44/172844-131-9695C31F/word-communication-stress-accent-letters-syllable.jpg"}},null,null],"mainCategory":{"id":12000,"title":"Literature","url":"Literature","description":"With the development of language, the human imagination has found a way to create and communicate through the written word. A literary work can transport us into a fictional, fantastic new world, describe a fleeting feeling, or simply give us a picture of the past through novels, poems, tragedies, epic works, and other genres. Through literature, communication becomes an art, and it can bridge and bond people and cultures of different languages and backgrounds.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/44/172844-131-9695C31F/word-communication-stress-accent-letters-syllable.jpg","altText":"Literature","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/44/172844-131-9695C31F/word-communication-stress-accent-letters-syllable.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"},{"id":6531,"title":"What Is Known (and Not Known) About Area 51","url":"/story/what-is-known-and-not-known-about-area-51","description":"Area 51 has spawned more conspiracy theories than perhaps any other military facility in the world. Here’s what we know (and don’t know) about this U.S. military installation.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/96/213796-050-2A2DCD32/area-51-gate.jpg","altText":"Area 51 Gate","credit":"© Ric LaFollette/Shutterstock.com","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/96/213796-050-2A2DCD32/area-51-gate.jpg"},"type":"STORY","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"Companion","url":"/stories/companion"},{"title":"Technology","url":"/stories/companion/Technology"}],"lastItemTitle":"Technology"},"superCategory":{"id":6,"title":"Science & Tech","url":"Science-Tech","description":"Explore science and technology; astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","keywords":"astronomy; biology; chemistry; earth science; mathematics; physics; technology, agriculture, cars, computers, engineering, industry, inventions, communication","classId":"SCIENCE","sortOrder":2},"hashtags":["companion","Nevada","secrets","Central Intelligence Agency","CIA","government","military","Air Force","Cold War","Dwight D. Eisenhower","Eisenhower","unidentified flying object","UFO","extraterrestrial","alien","spacecraft","conspiracy theories","paranormal","aircraft","aviation","U-2"],"hashtagsString":"companion, Nevada, secrets, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, government, military, Air Force, Cold War, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Eisenhower, unidentified flying object, UFO, extraterrestrial, alien, spacecraft, conspiracy theories, paranormal, aircraft, aviation, U-2","displayDate":[2023,7,12],"urlTitle":"what-is-known-and-not-known-about-area-51","featureSubType":"COMPANION","categories":[{"id":2000,"title":"Technology","url":"Technology","description":"Humankind has long striven to improve its living conditions through the development of tools, instruments, and transportation and communications systems, all with the goal of making our lives easier, more productive and—why not?—more fun, too. Thanks to human curiosity and technological research, many significant inventions have been made throughout history that in turn made a difference in our daily lives.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg","altText":"Technology","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg"}},{"id":1000,"title":"Science","url":"Science","description":"How can the sky be blue one day and stormy the next? Why do heavy objects tend to fall downwards when dropped? How are birds able to fly (and why can’t I do the same?)? Human beings have long been curious about the world in which we live, striving to identify connections among the phenomenons we witness and to understand how it all works. The field of science has developed over many centuries as a way of studying and understanding the world, beginning with the primitive stage of simply noting important regularities in nature and continuing through the rise of modern science. The modern-day sciences cover a vast range of fields, including biology, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, physics, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg","altText":"Science","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/86/193986-050-7B2DBB6A/ball-and-stick-model-structure-atoms.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":2000,"title":"Technology","url":"Technology","description":"Humankind has long striven to improve its living conditions through the development of tools, instruments, and transportation and communications systems, all with the goal of making our lives easier, more productive and—why not?—more fun, too. Thanks to human curiosity and technological research, many significant inventions have been made throughout history that in turn made a difference in our daily lives.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg","altText":"Technology","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/84/203584-131-357FBE7D/speed-internet-technology-background.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"Companion"},{"id":7451,"title":"7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers","url":"/list/7-of-historys-most-notorious-serial-killers","description":"Don’t read this list before bed.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/51/212551-131-CCA62CB1/Shadow-man-spooky-building-knife.jpg","altText":"Shadow of a man holding large knife in his hand inside of some dark, spooky buiding","credit":"© Marccophoto—iStock/Getty Images","width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/51/212551-131-CCA62CB1/Shadow-man-spooky-building-knife.jpg"},"type":"LIST","breadcrumb":{"homeLink":null,"items":[{"title":"List","url":"/list/browse"},{"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"/list/browse/Lifestyles-Social-Issues"}],"lastItemTitle":"Lifestyles & Social Issues"},"superCategory":{"id":5,"title":"History & Society","url":"History-Society","description":"Explore history and society; accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","keywords":"accidents and disasters; the age of revolutions; the ancient world; historic dynasties; global exploration; the middle ages; the modern world; prehistory; US history; world history; wars and battles; sociology; religion and philosophy; humanities; ethics; anthropology; festivals and holidays; human rights; human migration; international relations; politics, law, and government","classId":"HISTORY","sortOrder":1},"hashtags":["serial killers","murder","murderers","crime","criminals","gruesome","killing","Jack the Ripper","Jeffrey Dahmer","Dr. Death","Harold Shipman","John Wayne Gacy","H.H. Holmes","Pedro Lopez","Ted Bundy"],"hashtagsString":"serial killers, murder, murderers, crime, criminals, gruesome, killing, Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Dr. Death, Harold Shipman, John Wayne Gacy, H.H. Holmes, Pedro Lopez, Ted Bundy","displayDate":[2019,10,17],"urlTitle":"7-of-historys-most-notorious-serial-killers","featureSubType":"REGULAR","categories":[{"id":8000,"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"Lifestyles-Social-Issues","description":"It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight for human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racism, environmentalism, gay rights, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg","altText":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg"}},{"id":6000,"title":"World History","url":"World-History","description":"Does history really repeat itself, or can we learn from the mistakes of those who came before us? History provides a chronological, statistical, and cultural record of the events, people, and movements that have made an impact on humankind and the world at large throughout the ages.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg","altText":"World History","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/05/84505-050-8BB58BE6/cave-art-Ennedi-Plateau-Chad.jpg"}},null],"mainCategory":{"id":8000,"title":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","url":"Lifestyles-Social-Issues","description":"It's easy enough to agree that human beings all around the world have certain basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to ensure their individual and collective well-being. History has shown us, however, that it's not so easy to form societies or communities that fulfill these requirements for all members. The fight for human and civil rights has persisted for hundreds of years and remains alive today, both within the borders of nations and on an international scale. It has led to large-scale social movements and reforms concerning issues such as suffrage, slavery, women's rights, racism, environmentalism, gay rights, and much more.","image":{"id":0,"url":"/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg","altText":"Lifestyles & Social Issues","credit":null,"width":null,"height":null,"fullUrl":"https://cdn.britannica.com/11/195611-131-4DFC1336/Belgian-pride-parade-People-streets-flags-Brussels-2017.jpg"}},"typeDisplayName":"List"}]},"byline":null,"citationInfo":null,"websites":null,"freeTopicReason":"TOPIC_IS_INDEX_PAGE","articleSchemaMarkup":{"keywords":"irreversible toxic response","wordcount":0,"url":"https://www.britannica.com/science/irreversible-toxic-response","description":"Other articles where irreversible toxic response is discussed: poison: Reversible versus irreversible toxic responses: Toxic responses differ in their eventual outcomes; the body can recover from some toxic responses, while others are irreversible. Irritation of the upper respiratory tract by inhaled formaldehyde gas, for example, is rapidly reversible in that as soon as the inhalation exposure…","publisher":{"logo":{"url":"https://corporate.britannica.com/wp-content/themes/eb-corporate/_img/logo.png","@type":"ImageObject"},"name":"Encyclopedia Britannica","@type":"Organization"},"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"article"},"studentArticle":false,"initialLoad":true,"moneyRedirectedArticle":false}

irreversible toxic response

Directory

References

Quizzes

44 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Health and Medicine Quizzes

Discover

Why Does the New Year Start on January 1?

The Largest Islands in the World

Why Is Ireland Two Countries?

Titanosaurs: 8 of the World's Biggest Dinosaurs

12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

What Is Known (and Not Known) About Area 51

7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers

medicine

Learn about this topic in these articles:

poisons and poisoning

  • Irreversible toxic response | medicine (9)

    In poison: Reversible versus irreversible toxic responses

    Toxic responses differ in their eventual outcomes; the body can recover from some toxic responses, while others are irreversible. Irritation of the upper respiratory tract by inhaled formaldehyde gas, for example, is rapidly reversible in that as soon as the inhalation exposure…

    Read More
Irreversible toxic response | medicine (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6345

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (68 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Birthday: 1996-12-09

Address: Apt. 141 1406 Mitch Summit, New Teganshire, UT 82655-0699

Phone: +2296092334654

Job: Technology Architect

Hobby: Snowboarding, Scouting, Foreign language learning, Dowsing, Baton twirling, Sculpting, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.