GN 301 Module 4: Effects of the Environment

Congenital

traits that are present at birth, can be due to genes, environment or both.

Chemicals

________ and bacteria are mixed together with liver enzymes.

Accutane

provides too much Vitamin A, which could cause problems in a developing fetus, so it is important for women on this drug not to be pregnant.

Hereditary

traits transmissible from cell to cell or parent to child.

1940s

DES, or diethylstilbestrol, is a synthetic form of the hormone estrogen that was prescribed to pregnant women from the ________ to the early 1970s to prevent miscarriage and other pregnancy complications.

**Xeroderma pigmentosum is cause by**

a defective DNA repair mechanism that normally repairs dimers.

Carcinogen

a physical or chemical agent that causes cancer (EX: Radiation, tobacco, some chemicals)

LD 50/60

the dose at which 50% of people exposed will die within 60 days of exposure 

Xeroderma pigmentosa

tumors are created on skin area when exposed to UV light

Mutagen

an agent that raises the rate of mutation above the spontaneous rate.

Teratogen

a physical or chemical agent that causes birth defects, or congenital malformation.

Physical abnormalities of fetal alcohol syndrome

Children with fetal alcohol syndrome may have a characteristic set of facial features, including a small head, small eye openings, a thin upper lip, and a flat or smooth philtrum (the groove between the nose and upper lip)

Thalidomide

a drug that was widely prescribed to pregnant women in the late 1950s as a treatment for morning sickness.

Chernobyl

________ released about 90 times as much radiation as the nuclear bomb in Hiroshima.

behavioral problems of fetal alcohol syndrome

Children with fetal alcohol syndrome may experience a range of cognitive and behavioral problems, including developmental delays, intellectual disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and problems with learning and memory.

birth defects

The ________ caused by thalidomide are often described as a phenocopy, which means that they resemble the effects of a genetic mutation or other naturally occurring biological process.

phenocopy

a syndrome that mimics the effects of a genetic mutation when it is actually caused by the environment

Mutagen is a physical or…

chemical agent that causes a change in DNA (mutation), X- rays, UV light.

LD

________ 50 /60 is the dose at which 50 % of people exposed will die within 60 days of exposure.

Accutane

________ (isotretinoin) is a prescription medication used to treat severe acne.

Rate of Spontaneous Mutation

1 in 5 of our genes have a mutation (1 in 100,000 genes per cell are mutated)

Why use liver enzymes/liver extract in the Ames Test?

to mimic the human body

6\.2

Avg person exposed to ___ mSV/yr (from all sources)

How should you rank the following three episodes from most to least radiation released: Hiroshima, Fukushima, Chernobyl?

Chernobyl > Fukushima > Hiroshima nuclear bomb

Safety standards for radiation

In the workplace, it’s set so that the max dose a person can be exposed to is 20 mSv per year, with no more than 50 mSv in a year
There are additional precautions for pregnant women
Dose limit to Fukushima workers was 250 mSv

DES

DES, or diethylstilbestrol, is a synthetic form of the hormone estrogen that was prescribed to pregnant women from the 1940s to the early 1970s to prevent miscarriage and other pregnancy complications. It was later discovered that DES had a range of negative effects on the health of the women who had taken it, as well as on their children. These effects included risk of reproductive problems, effects on the immune system, increased risk of breast cancer, and effects on offspring.