Effects of chemical and physical agents are dependent on a number of factors. The most important is the quantity received (dose). Some are non-toxic even with very large doses, e.g., a quart. Others may be lethal in minute amounts, less than a drop.

The magnitude of a toxic response may vary among agents with increasing dose levels. The relationship of response to increasing larger dose levels is known as the dose-response relationship. The toxicity of some chemicals may increase