Zero order kinetics refers to the process where a constant amount of a drug or toxin is metabolized or eliminated from the body per unit time, irrespective of its concentration. This is in contrast to first order kinetics, where the rate of elimination is directly proportional to the drug concentration. In zero order kinetics, metabolic pathways become saturated at higher concentrations, meaning that the elimination rate can no longer increase with concentration, leading to a constant rate of elimination.
