The concept of dose is fundamental in pharmacology and toxicology by which the toxicity of a test compound is believed to be avoided. However, its significance in life sciences often goes unrecognized. The relationship between dose and biological response remains a contentious topic in experimental pharmacology and toxicology. Undertaking comprehensive research in this area is crucial to gaining fresh insights and perspectives with far-reaching implications for drug safety regulations. This report offers an overview of the impact of different levels of doses on the body’s physiological and biological processes,

The body’s interaction with both internal and external molecules through various receptor networks at cellular and organismal levels is essential for sustaining life. These interactions activate physiological processes in biological systems and are facilitated by intracellular receptors, G-protein coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, chemoreceptors, thermo-receptors, photoreceptors, sound-receptors, among others1. When these interactions are disrupted, the body’s functionality is compromised, underscoring the critical nature of its connection with the external environment for survival. The efficiency of biological processes and the foundational biochemistry and anatomy of basic body functions are determined by the number of signaling molecules interacting with specific receptor types within the body2. Maintaining a balanced interaction between different signaling molecules and their receptor types is crucial for ensuring the continuity of biological processes throughout the body’s lifespan3. The body is composed of cells which are in turn made up of water, inorganic ions, and organic molecules4. It needs daily doses of substances to maintain the equilibrium required for physiological processes in different biological systems4.

The dosage has a complex role in many physiological processes by influencing the natural processes of the different biological systems2. It is closely related to the physiological and anatomical aspects of the biological sciences, where it demonstrates the biological sensitivity that determines the effectiveness of biological processes in different organ systems. The body’s biological processes include all chemical processes that prepare substances to be used for energy, fertility, and growth as well as physiological and defense mechanisms3. Every compound administered into biological systems has both physiologic and non-physiologic doses. The physiologic dose facilitates the body’s biological sensitivity, maintaining biological processes, while the non-physiologic dose desensitizes the body, hindering physiological processes. Lower and moderate doses are mainly physiologic, activating biological sensitivity and maintaining physiologic activities, while higher doses are mainly non-physiologic, desensitizing cellular and molecular responses and suppressing natural body processes5.

This limited response efficiency against signaling molecules impacts the biological processes of different organ systems. For instance, in previous studies, the lower doses of Chlorpyrifos and Cypermethrin pesticides boosted the immunoglobulin’s immune responses of treated Balb c mice while the higher doses suppressed it5. The doses that are consider to be within the normal range (physiologic dose) can still be harmful to the body in the long term, leading to inaccurate toxicology reports for test compounds56. This means that it is not the dose itself which is toxic or nontoxic but rather the substance6. When different levels of doses are given to biological systems, they create a curve that helps us distinguish between physiological and non-physiological doses7. Physiological doses are shown with an upward curve in response, while non-physiological doses are represented with a downward curve (Figure 1).

The primary purpose of a dose is to regulate the physiology of the body by influencing the biochemistry and anatomy behind the basic body functions to support life processes. Its goal is to ensure that life can continue based on the body’s needs. There is a physiologic dose and a non physiologic dose for a compound administered to a biological system. The physiologic dose may eventually exhibit toxicity in the long run throughout an organism’s life process, which can result in inaccurate toxicological study reports. This implies that there is no specific toxic dose or non-toxic dose but rather toxic or non-toxic substances.