Teratology

Teratology (ancient Greek: téras = monster and logos = teaching) is the study of the causes of malformations caused by teratogens (effects that endanger reproduction).

The focus of teratology lies in researching which substances or physical influences lead to which malformations in the development phase of animals and humans.

The French zoologist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire was the first to investigate which environmental influences triggered malformations in the development of germs in vertebrates. The German anatomist Johann Friedrich Meckel von Helmsbach was the first to describe various malformations in the human embryo.