Re: [Killietalk] acriflavine 2

[Barry Cooper <bjc3 at centurytel_net>]

Bruce Turner writes:

"Brian's observations make sense.  The kinds of developmental effects he describes are usually thought of as "teratomas" and agents which cause them are "teratogens"  (The distinction from "mutations" is that the effects are seldom inherited)."

Just for the record, as a pathologist I wouldn't agree with that statement. Certainly, acriflavine and similar agents are teratogens, which simply means that they cause developmental anomalies. The word is derived from the Greek - "monster former". A teratoma is a different thing, namely a type of tumor (neoplasm) that is capable of forming tissues derived from different embryological sources (that is, endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm). For example, a teratoma can contain skin, hair, brain tissue, teeth, intestinal tissue, muscle and just about anything else that you find in a normal being.

Barry

Barry J. Cooper
Sweet Home, OR 97386

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