A substance that can cause malformation in the fetus following exposure of the mother The malformation or abnormality may be biochemical or anatomic and be of genetic or environmental origin
chemical and physical agents which interfere with normal embryonic development Teratogens may produce congenital malformations or death of the fetus without inducing damage to the pregnant female
from the Greek word tera, meaning "monster " Any agent that causes a birth defect The field of study that investigates the causes of birth defects is called teratology (See 105)
A chemical or physical agent which can lead to malformations in the fetus and birth defects in children (liveborn offspring) Such an agent is called teratogenic The ability to cause birth defects is termed teratogenicity