Chapter 9: Genotoxicity and Carcinogenicity

A chemical is considered to be mutagenic if it is capable of inducing heritable changes (mutations) in the genotype of a cell as a consequence of alterations to, or loss of, genes, chromosomes or parts of chromosomes. Genotoxicity is a broader term that refers to the ability to interact with DNA and/or the cellular apparatus that regulates the fidelity of the genome, such as the spindle apparatus and topoisomerase enzymes.