teratogenicity
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌtɛrətoʊdʒəˈnɪsɪti/
- Specialized
- In the design of clinical and biological studies, most clinicians and many non-clinical investigators do not consider the fact that drugs are three-dimensional chemical structures and that the spatial orientation of that structure determines its biological activity: thalidomide teratogenicity is a stark example.
- teratogenicity and carcinogenicity
Examples
-
Warfarin therapy is contraindicated in pregnancy due to its teratogenicity and risk of placental abruption.
-
The teratogenicity of certain chemicals can lead to severe birth defects in developing embryos.
-
Teratogenicity
Academic text (2003) -
All five strategies measure toxicity in terms of acute and chronic toxicity, as well as carcinogenicity or teratogenicity.
Academic text (2006) -
Warfarin therapy is contraindicated in pregnancy due to its teratogenicity and risk of placental abruption and should be stopped prior to pregnancy.
Academic text (2015) -
When considering the teratogenicity of compounds, the two most important factors are total fetal exposure to a drug and the gestational age of the fetus at first exposure.
Academic text (2003) -
When considering the teratogenicity of compounds, the most important factors include fetal exposure to a drug.
Surface Forms
Morphology
teratogenicity = teratogenic (opaque) = teratogen + ic + ity
Formation from the adjective 'teratogenic' plus the regular nominalizing suffix '-ity' is a straightforward and productive derivation.
Etymology
Teratogenicity comes from Greek parts: terato- (from teras) meaning 'monster', -genic meaning 'creating' or 'causing', and -ity meaning 'state'. So it is like an 'ability to create monsters', and today it means the power of a drug or chemical to cause birth defects, which is why doctors worry about it in pregnancy.