2023/04/17 |
Zebrafish developmental systems toxicology is a field of research that uses the zebrafish model organism to study the effects of environmental chemicals on embryonic development and organogenesis. Zebrafish are ideal for this purpose because they have a high degree of genetic and physiological similarity to humans, they are transparent and externally fertilized, they have a rapid and well-characterized development, and they are amenable to high-throughput screening and imaging techniques. Zebrafish developmental systems toxicology aims to identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms of toxicity, the developmental windows of susceptibility, the phenotypic outcomes and the potential transgenerational effects of exposure to various chemicals. Zebrafish developmental systems toxicology can also provide insights into the etiology and prevention of human developmental disorders and diseases that may have an environmental origin.
*Congenital Anomalies 2016:56, 18-27