In vivo models of developmental toxicology

The founding principles of teratology/developmental toxicology state that a developmental toxicants cause dysmorphogenesis when conceptuses are exposed at a sufficient dosage during a sensitive period of development in a sensitive species. While in vitro approaches in developmental toxicology can provide a means to assess the potency of toxicants, ultimately, the need to use whole animal models to demonstrate embryotoxicity is necessary to fully extrapolate findings to the human condition. This chapter is dedicated to reviewing the advantages of specific animal models and how these animal models may be used to assess toxicity in the embryo, both descriptively and mechanistically.