Teratology

Teratology is the study of abnormalities of physiological development in organisms during their life span. It is a sub-discipline in medical genetics which focuses on the classification of congenital abnormalities in dysmorphology caused by teratogens. Teratogens are substances that may cause non-heritable birth defects via a toxic effect on an embryo or fetus.^[1] Defects include malformations, disruptions, deformations, and dysplasia that may cause stunted growth, delayed mental development, or other congenital disorders that lack structural malformations.^[2] The related term developmental toxicity includes all manifestations of abnormal development that are caused by environmental insult.^[3] The extent to which teratogens will impact an embryo is dependent on several factors, such as how long the embryo has been exposed, the stage of development the embryo was in when exposed, the genetic makeup of the embryo, and the transfer rate of the teratogen.^[4]

^ Bastow BD, Holmes JL, Trupin SR, Draper JC, Matthews Jr KJ (23 February 2016). Talavera F (ed.). "Teratology and drug use during pregnancy". Medscape. WebMD. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
^ Gilbert SF, Epel D (2015). Ecological developmental biology: the environmental regulation of development, health, and evolution (2nd ed.). Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers.
^ Rogers JM, Kavlock RJ (1996). "Developmental Toxicology". In Klaassen CD (ed.). Casarett and Doull's Toxicology : the basic science of poisons (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, Health Professions Division. pp. 301–331. ISBN 978-0-07-105476-8.
^ Macnow AS, ed. (2022). MCAT biology review 2023–2024 : online + book (2023-2024 ed.). Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Kaplan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5062-8295-4. OCLC 1334083218.

[Teratogens-1] Bastow BD, Holmes JL, Trupin SR, Draper JC, Matthews Jr KJ (23 February 2016). Talavera F (ed.). "Teratology and drug use during pregnancy". Medscape. WebMD. Retrieved 24 February 2016.

[2] Gilbert SF, Epel D (2015). Ecological developmental biology: the environmental regulation of development, health, and evolution (2nd ed.). Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers.

[3] Rogers JM, Kavlock RJ (1996). "Developmental Toxicology". In Klaassen CD (ed.). Casarett and Doull's Toxicology : the basic science of poisons (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, Health Professions Division. pp. 301–331. ISBN 978-0-07-105476-8.

[4] Macnow AS, ed. (2022). MCAT biology review 2023–2024 : online + book (2023-2024 ed.). Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Kaplan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5062-8295-4. OCLC 1334083218.

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