[Sensitivity of the primordia of various organs to chemical substances]

In the experiments performed in chick embryos, using the chick embryo screening test (CEST)-1 and CEST-2 technique, 100 various classes of chemical substances have been tested for teratogenic activity. Estimation of three morphogenetic systems (caudal part of the body, facial skull and extremities) has demonstrated that some of the substances do not produce any damaging effect, other produce some lesions in selected germs, the third influence two or three germs simultaneously. Similar picture is also specific for the effect of the chemical substances to the rat intrauterine development. Owing to data obtained, we come to the conclusion that for screening of embryotoxicity of various xenobiotics under in vivo and in vitro experimental conditions one should not orient to one single germ.