A genitotoxin is a
poison
A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
ous
toxin
A toxin is a naturally occurring poison produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. They occur especially as proteins, often conjugated. The term was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849–1919), derived ...
which damages the
urinary organs or the
reproductive organs
A sex organ, also known as a reproductive organ, is a part of an organism that is involved in sexual reproduction. Sex organs constitute the primary sex characteristics of an organism. Sex organs are responsible for producing and transporting ...
. It can be due to negative side-effects of a medication, or may be caused by natural chemicals that are used in
laboratories
A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which science, scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as s ...
or the
industry
Industry may refer to:
Economics
* Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity
* Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery
* The wider industrial sector ...
.
The name derives from ''genus'' ("gender"), a word which suggests the aspects of
andrology
Andrology (from , ''anēr'', genitive , ''andros'' 'man' and , ''-logy, -logia'') is a name for the medicine, medical specialty that deals with male health, particularly relating to the problems of the male reproductive system and urology, urologi ...
,
gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...
and
urology
Urology (from Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:οὖρον, οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of t ...
.
The active effect of a genitotoxin is strongly dependent on the dose, the location of the intake, the speed at which it spreads and the health of the human or animal.
Genitotoxic substances
*
Zearalenone
Zearalenone (ZEN), also known as RAL and F-2 mycotoxin, is a potent estrogenic metabolite produced by some ''Fusarium'' and '' Gibberella'' species. Specifically, the '' Gibberella zeae'', the fungal species where zearalenone was initially detec ...
See also
*
Mycotoxin
A mycotoxin (from the Greek μύκης , "fungus" and τοξικός , "poisonous") is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by fungi and is capable of causing disease and death in both humans and other animals. The term 'mycotoxin' is usually rese ...
References
Toxins by organ system affected
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