Toxicogenomics

Genetic Toxicology

Genetic toxicology is a branch of the field of toxicology that assesses the effects of chemical and physical agents on the hereditary material (DNA) and on the genetic processes of living cells. Such effects can be assessed directly by measuring the interaction of agents with DNA or more indirectly through the assessment of DNA repair or the production of gene mutations or chromosome alterations. It is important at the outset to distinguish between genotoxicity and mutagenicity. Genotoxicity covers a broader spectrum of endpoints than mutagenicity. For example, unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), and DNA strand breaks are measures of genotoxicity, not mutagenicity because they are not themselves transmissible from cell to cell or generation to generation.