Teratogens from a biological perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teratogens from a biological perspective - Essay Example The probability of impairment is determined by several other factors which interact with the teratogens. As mentioned above, several factors influence the adverse effects of teratogens and the accompanied pathological process. These factors include timing which refers to the phase of development or pregnancy which the child is affected by the teratogen. Certain teratogens only have the possibility to cause harm to during certain periods of development, whereas others are constantly harmful throughout the pregnancy. An example of such teratogens is behavioral teratogens which harmful regardless of the period. In essence, the neurological system is susceptible to damage throughout pregnancy. The critical period is also a stage of timing which should be considered as this refers to the period when an organ or tissue is most susceptible to teratogen effect (Holmes et al., 2011). The next factor is exposure, which refers to the dosage or quantity of the teratogen that the fetus is exposed t during development. In addition, the frequency which this fetus is exposed also determines the results of damage. There is also the threshold effect which involves the dosage which a certain teratogen is harmless to a fetus until the threshold has been surpassed. Interactions are also essential in the effects of teratogens and some of them are only effective or more effective in the presence of other teratogens. Other risk factors may also have the same relation with teratogens. The third factor that affects the presentation of teratogens is genetic composition. There are certain genes that predispose an individual to teratogens hence he or she is likely to be affected by them. Examples of teratogens include diseases such as AIDS, HIV or Rubella; drugs which can be either medical or social and environmental toxin (Rathus & Longmuir, 2011). As mentioned above, teratogens have different effects some which