Teratogen

Teras-”monster” Gensis-”producing”
A teratogen is defined as any agent that results in structural or functional abnormalities (malformation ) in the fetus, or in the
child after birth, as a consequence of maternal exposure during pregnancy.
Birth defects are known to occur in 3- 5% of all newborns. • They can do direct damage to the fetus, causing abnormal
development.
Teratogens are substances that may produce physical or functional defects in the human embryo or fetus after the pregnant
woman is exposed to the substance. Alcohol and cocaine are examples of such substances. Exposure to the teratogen affects
the fetus or embryo in a variety of ways, such as the duration of exposure, the amount of teratogenic substance, and the stage
of development the embryo or fetus is in during the exposure. They affect the embryo or fetus in several ways, causing physical
malformations, problems in the behavioural or emotional development of the child, and decreased intellectual quotient (IQ) in
the child.
History : The word teratogen originates from the Greek word for monster, teratos. Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, a physician
from Paris, France, defined it in 1932 .
People had sought explanations for abnormal human and animal development, however, for centuries, and they had
developed different theories about the causes for the abnormalities. • The study of teratology has interested both
developmental biologists and physicians alike.
Teratogens are classified into four types:
1. physical agents, 2. metabolic conditions, 3. infection, 4. drugs and chemicals
Causes of teratogenesis
Abnormal development may be caused by errors in genetic programming, from environmental agents / factors or from
unknown causes that interfere with development.
About 7 % of all live birth defects are due to prenatal exposure to radiation, environmental factors, chemicals, and drugs.
Abnormalities caused by genetic events, e.g. mutation in genes, structural changes in chromosomes and aneuploidies, etc. are
called malformations
Abnormalities caused by environmental agents are called disruptions. The environmental factors may be either biological (e.g.
viruses and parasites) or non-biological such as physical factors (e.g. temperature, radiation) and chemical factors (e.g. drug,
chemicals and nutritional imbalances).
The agents responsible for the disruptions are called teratogens.
Mutagens and carcinogens also are the causes of abnormal development, but their mode of action differ. Teratogens are
agents that affect the embryo at dose levels. They are harmless to adult organisms and do not permanently damage the genetic
material. On the other hand, mutagens are agents that alter the genes, whereas carcinogens are agents that lead to excessive
growth and loss of differentiation, generally in adult tissue.

• Teratogens are defined as substances when ingested by the mother, can cause abnormalities in the
developing fetus.
 • Synthetic drug: thalidomide

• These teratogens act for a short period and early during gestation period.

• Hence these plant components disappear in the offspring when the abnormalities become apparent.

Teratogenic constituents of plants include:

1. Alkaloids
2. Coumarins
3. Lignans
4. Macrolides
5. Nitriles
6. Terpenoids
7. Toxic amino acids
Most of them contains nitrogen.