detoxication

biology

Also known as: detoxification

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June 25, 2026

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Detoxification is the biological process of removing toxic substances from the body. This is primarily carried out by the liver, which filters the blood and metabolizes harmful chemicals into less toxic forms that can be excreted through urine or bile. The liver secretes bile, which aids in the digestion of fats and the elimination of waste products, drugs, and toxins.123

While the term "detoxify" can now refer to freeing someone from substance addiction, its original meaning involved removing poisons from substances or the bloodstream. The body also eliminates nitrogenous by-products of metabolism through organs like the kidneys. Many substances are toxic only at high concentrations, and toxicology tests are used to detect poisons in bodily fluids.145

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soil
Pathways of detoxification
Field observation and laboratory experimentation have confirmed the effectiveness of natural pathways in the soil for detoxifying chemicals. Volatilization, adsorption, precipitation, and other chemical transformations, as well as biological immobilization and degradation, are the first line of defense against invasive pollutants. These processes are…
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Field observation and laboratory experimentation have confirmed the effectiveness of natural pathways in the soil for detoxifying chemicals. Volatilization, adsorption, precipitation, and other chemical transformations, as well as biological immobilization and degradation, are the first line of defense against invasive pollutants. These processes are…
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excretion
Products of excretion
…some less harmful compounds (detoxication). In mammals, including humans, it is detoxified to urea, which may be considered as being formed by the condensation of one molecule of carbon dioxide with two molecules of ammonia (though the biochemistry of the process is more complex than that). Urea is highly…
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…some less harmful compounds (detoxication). In mammals, including humans, it is detoxified to urea, which may be considered as being formed by the condensation of one molecule of carbon dioxide with two molecules of ammonia (though the biochemistry of the process is more complex than that). Urea is highly…
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smooth endoplasmic reticulum
…water-soluble, thereby contributing to their detoxification, or removal, from the body. The SER also plays a role in the conversion of glycogen to glucose, with glucose-6-phosphatase, an enzyme present in SER, catalyzing the final step in glucose production in the liver.
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…water-soluble, thereby contributing to their detoxification, or removal, from the body. The SER also plays a role in the conversion of glycogen to glucose, with glucose-6-phosphatase, an enzyme present in SER, catalyzing the final step in glucose production in the liver.
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