Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Effects of Chemicals: Overview01:27

Effects of Chemicals: Overview

1.7K
Drugs, encompassing various chemical compounds from natural sources, lab synthesis, or genetic engineering, elicit different biological responses in living organisms. Some of these responses are desirable or therapeutic, while others are undesirable. The primary goal of administering a drug is to achieve a therapeutic effect, that is, to address a specific disease or health condition. Any concurrent effects outside of this therapeutic outcome are considered undesirable. These undesirable...
1.7K
Hormonal Regulation01:40

Hormonal Regulation

45.3K
Hormones regulate a significant portion of digestion through activation of the neuroendocrine system. The neuroendocrine system of digestion contains many different hormones all with multiple functions that are both, directly and indirectly, involved in digestion.
45.3K
Hormonal Regulation01:33

Hormonal Regulation

34.7K
The renin-aldosterone system is an endocrine system which guides the renal absorption of water and electrolytes, thus managing blood pressure and osmoregulation. Activation of the system begins in the kidneys with a small cluster of cells adjacent to the afferent and efferent blood vessels of the renal corpuscle. As the nephrons are filtering blood, juxtaglomerular cells monitor blood pressure. If they detect a decrease in pressure, they release the hormone renin into the bloodstream.
34.7K
Types of Toxins01:36

Types of Toxins

2.8K
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
2.8K
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity01:25

Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity

1.6K
Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity refer to the ability of drugs to cause genetic defects and induce cancer, respectively. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies agents into four groups based on their carcinogenic potential. Group 1 agents are known human carcinogens; group 2A agents are probably carcinogenic to humans; group 3 agents lack data to support their role in carcinogenesis; and group 4 includes agents for which data support that they are not likely to be...
1.6K
Toxic Reactions: Overview01:26

Toxic Reactions: Overview

1.4K
When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
1.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The crucible of resilience: hormesis as the unifying principle of evolution, genetics, and epigenetics.

Archives of toxicology·2026
Same author

Hormesis in biomedical and toxicological models: A generalizable phenomenon induced by per- and polyfluoroalkyl agents.

Chemico-biological interactions·2026
Same author

Canine environmental health: An EPA blind spot? Canine physiology, environmental exposure, and the regulatory gap in U.S. policy.

Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP·2026
Same author

Hormetic effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on ecologically relevant animal models: Generality, quantitative features, and risk assessment implications.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2026
Same author

How the US NAS BEAR I Genetics Panel scientific misconduct could have been avoided, but was not.

Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene·2026
Same author

BEAR I Genetics Panel: An unexpected and troubling historical twist: The untold story of Hermann Muller's significant scientific confusion.

Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Effects of Exposure of Formaldehyde to a Rat Model of Atopic Dermatitis Induced by Neonatal Capsaicin Treatment
06:47

Effects of Exposure of Formaldehyde to a Rat Model of Atopic Dermatitis Induced by Neonatal Capsaicin Treatment

Published on: September 27, 2017

9.9K

Formaldehyde: Another hormesis-inducing chemical.

Evgenios Agathokleous1, Edward J Calabrese2

  • 1Key Laboratory of Agrometeorology of Jiangsu Province, Department of Ecology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST), Nanjing, 210044, PR China.

Environmental Research
|May 28, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Formaldehyde (FA) exhibits hormesis, a beneficial effect at low doses, across plants, animals, and microorganisms. This suggests FA may influence biological processes, including tumor promotion, within specific concentration ranges.

Keywords:
Chemical toxicologyDose-response relationshipEcological risk assessmentEnvironmental pollutionFormaldehydeHormesis

More Related Videos

High Throughput SiRNA Screening for Chloropicrin and Hydrogen Fluoride-Induced Cornea Epithelial Cell Injury
14:20

High Throughput SiRNA Screening for Chloropicrin and Hydrogen Fluoride-Induced Cornea Epithelial Cell Injury

Published on: June 16, 2018

6.0K
Author Spotlight: Advances in Evaluating Human Lung Epithelial Cells' Response to Metal-Organic Frameworks
04:53

Author Spotlight: Advances in Evaluating Human Lung Epithelial Cells' Response to Metal-Organic Frameworks

Published on: May 26, 2023

1.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Effects of Exposure of Formaldehyde to a Rat Model of Atopic Dermatitis Induced by Neonatal Capsaicin Treatment
06:47

Effects of Exposure of Formaldehyde to a Rat Model of Atopic Dermatitis Induced by Neonatal Capsaicin Treatment

Published on: September 27, 2017

9.9K
High Throughput SiRNA Screening for Chloropicrin and Hydrogen Fluoride-Induced Cornea Epithelial Cell Injury
14:20

High Throughput SiRNA Screening for Chloropicrin and Hydrogen Fluoride-Induced Cornea Epithelial Cell Injury

Published on: June 16, 2018

6.0K
Author Spotlight: Advances in Evaluating Human Lung Epithelial Cells' Response to Metal-Organic Frameworks
04:53

Author Spotlight: Advances in Evaluating Human Lung Epithelial Cells' Response to Metal-Organic Frameworks

Published on: May 26, 2023

1.4K

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Toxicology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Formaldehyde (FA) is a naturally occurring compound with both endogenous and environmental sources.
  • While a potential carcinogen, organisms can metabolize FA, and low levels may be essential for health.
  • Genetic engineering has enhanced FA tolerance and assimilation in plants and microorganisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and confirm the hypothesis that formaldehyde commonly induces hormesis.
  • To collate evidence from diverse biological systems (animals, plants, microorganisms) supporting the hormesis hypothesis for FA.
  • To explore the implications of FA-induced hormesis for biological study designs and risk assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and evidence collation from published studies on formaldehyde effects in animals, plants, and microorganisms.
  • Analysis of endpoints exhibiting hormesis, including growth, lipid peroxidation, and photosynthetic pigments in plants.
  • Examination of cellular responses in animal models, such as cell proliferation, viability, ERK signaling, and the Warburg effect.

Main Results:

  • Formaldehyde consistently induced hormesis across various species and biological models at low doses below the no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL).
  • Observed hormetic effects in plants included modulated growth, lipid peroxidation, and photosynthetic pigment levels.
  • In animal cells, hormesis manifested as enhanced proliferation, viability, ERK phosphorylation, and the Warburg effect, with in vitro effects noted in cancerous cell lines.

Conclusions:

  • Formaldehyde commonly exhibits hormesis, a biphasic dose-response relationship, across a wide range of organisms.
  • The hormetic effects of formaldehyde, particularly in relation to tumor cell lines, warrant further investigation within specific biological contexts.
  • Understanding formaldehyde's hormetic properties is crucial for refining study designs and accurately assessing environmental and human health risks.