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Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
Citation:
Blake, B. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. Guest Lecture for UNC Chapel Hill Graduate Level Toxicology Course, Chapel Hill, NC, November 02, 2021.
Impact/Purpose:
This presentation will serve as a lecture for toxicology graduate students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The learning objectives of the lecture are to provide a brief overview of the endocrine system and an introduction to the basic principles of endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Description:
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are compounds that interfere with normal activity of the endocrine system. Many environmental contaminants can act as EDCs and impact the health of wildlife and humans. Many EDCs have been extensively studied using animal models, in vitro techniques, and predictive/computational toxicology methods. The main aim of this lecture is to introduce the endocrine system, provide an overview of endocrine disrupting chemicals, discuss the biological mechanisms through which they exert effects on organisms, and review several specific examples of EDCs. The material will also provide a brief overview of the risk assessment and regulation process for EDCs. This course is intended to instruct toxicology students at the graduate level.