ABSTRACT
Understanding the metabolism, or biotransformation, of xenobiotics has come to be regarded as fundamental to appreciating the toxic mechanisms of chemicals, be they drugs, industrial chemicals, pesticides, or other molecule foreign to the body. This chapter discusses the major pathways of xenobiotic metabolism with an emphasis on the role that biotransformation plays as a determinant of toxicity. The material is organized in the traditional view of the functionalization of xenobiotics, that being biological oxidations, reductions, and hydrolytic conversions, frequently referred to as phase I reactions, and biochemical conjugation reactions, known as phase II reactions.
