Genetic toxicology—an introduction

✍ Scribed by A. K. Sharma

• Book ID: 104627579
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 126 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0742-2091
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00117772

✦ Synopsis

The exposure of the human system to a wide variety of physical, chemical and biological agents, both environmental and industrial, has made the study of genetic toxicology an important area of research. The application of a variety of assays, both in vitro and in vivo (Rosenkranz, 1988), is responsible for unravelling the toxicity of different agents acting either on the genetic architecture, on DNA skeleton or on promoters or inhibitors of effects. Through the years, the studies have become mostly mechanistic in nature, aimed undoubtedly towards a precise risk assessment and risk-benefit analysis. The test systems principally designed to detect point mutations and chromosome anomalies range from Salmonella, E. coli, plant systems including yeast and Drosophila to submammalian and mammalian cells. However, the difficulty of extrapolation of data and effects of protocols are gradually making it necessary to utilize in vivo tests on germinal cells of mammalian systems.