Any agent, chemical or physical, that has the potential for inducing permanent change to the genetic material of an organism by altering its DNA. The alteration may be either a point mutation (nucleotide substitution, insertion, or deletion) or a chromosome aberration (translocation, inversion, or altered chromosome complement). There are long lists of chemical mutagens which include such diverse agents as formaldehyde, mustard gas, triethylenemelamine, vinyl chloride, aflatoxin B, benzo(a)pyrene, and acridine orange. Chemical mutagens may be direct acting, or they may have to be converted by metabolic activity to the ultimate mutagen. Physical mutagens include (but are not limited to) x rays and ultraviolet radiation.

See Also

Agent Orange; Birth Defects; Chemicals; Gene Pool; Genetic Engineering; Love Canal, New York