ABSTRACT
Reproductive toxicology is “the study of the occurrence, causes, manifestations, and sequelae of adverse effects of exogenous agents on reproduction.”1 Reproductive “hazards” may encompass adverse health effects in the prospective mother, the father, and/or, of course, the developing embryo. The most striking features of reproduction are the myriad of rapidly multiplying cells, be they the gametes (ova, spermatozoa) or the tissues of the embryo, and the hypersusceptibility of such cells to a variety of agents at concentrations far lower than would be anticipated to elicit toxicity in other cell systems. This is a challenging field of toxicology, the spectrum of events caused by an environment (drugs, substances of abuse, industrial chemicals, pesticides, diet, lifestyles, etc.) resulting in effects as covert as alterations in normal levels of hormones with changes in performance (loss of libido, impotence, sterility, etc.) or more overt evidence of toxicity in the form of spontaneous abortion, embryonic or fetal death, reduced perinatal survival or teratogenicity (structural and/or functional anomalies) (Figure 11.1).
