Have you ever imagined that the secrets of human development could be hidden inside a creature barely a few millimetres long? Picture a tiny, transparent fish drifting gently in a glass tank, its beating heart visible, its brain forming right before your eyes. It may look delicate, but this little larva is transforming the future of toxicology. Development begins as a beautifully coordinated process, where cells divide, organs form, and life takes shape. But what happens when a developing embryo encounters harmful chemicals in its environment? This question lies at the heart of developmental toxicity. The study of how substances such as pollutants, drugs, plastics, or heavy metals interfere with normal growth. These disturbances can lead to birth defects, impaired organ formation, behavioural abnormalities, or long-term health problems.
Harsh R. Patel Maunik D. Prajapati (Wed,) studied this question.