The strength of a toxin can be assessed through various experimental and observational studies. Key measures include:
ED50: The effective dose needed to achieve a specific biological response in 50% of the test subjects. LD50: The dose required to kill 50% of a test population, commonly used in animal studies. TD50: The toxic dose for 50% of the population, reflecting the dose at which adverse effects are observed.
These measurements help determine the therapeutic index of substances, indicating their safety margin.
