ABSTRACT
Errol Zeiger National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
I. INTRODUCTION Genetic toxicology is the study of substances that can damage the DNA and chromosomes of cells. This damage is usually measured as mutations, chromosome aberrations, DNA strand breaks, or as DNA adducts or interferences with the repair of damage. A number of in vitro and in vivo test systems have been developed to study the effects of chemicals and radiation on cellular DNA and chromosomes. The most commonly used in vitro tests for routine screening are gene mutation systems in bacteria and gene and chromosome damage systems in cultured rodent cells. In vivo, chromosome damage is typically measured in bone marrow cells of mice or rats.
