ABSTRACT
Genetic toxicology, a specialized field of toxicology, involves the identification and analysis of agents with toxicity directed toward the hereditary components of living organisms. A large proportion of human disease is either directly or indirectly associated with genetic damage. Although many agents are capable of indirectly producing genetic damage at very high exposure concentrations by altering cellular homeostasis, the primary objective of genetic toxicologists is to detect and assess genetic hazard from agents that are highly specific for nucleic acids and are capable of producing genetic damage at subtoxic concentrations. Such agents are classified as
genotoxic
.
