Smithells R W
Teratology. 1980 Aug;22(1):77-85. doi: 10.1002/tera.1420220111.
Teratology has its origins in the descriptive anatomy of malformed humans. Although the term now has much wider connotations, the first challenge of teratology is to recognise its purpose as a science related to a human problem. The wider connotations inevitably mean the involvement of increasing numbers of disciplines, each with its own language and limitations, but each with a unique contribution to make. The second challenge of teratology is therefore to establish and expand communications between these disciplines. The third challenge is teratogenesis, which requires a rather more profound consideration of the nature of causation than a simple cause-and-effect relationship. At the same time as looking back from consequences to causes, we must look forward from the causes to alternative consequences. The affinity of teratogenesis, carcinogenesis, and mutagenesis constitutes the fourth challenge. The fifth challenge brings us back to humans, and lies in the relationships between scientists working within the field of teratology, and industry, the law, the media, and the public at large.
畸形学起源于对畸形人类的描述性解剖学。尽管该术语现在具有更广泛的内涵，但畸形学面临的首要挑战是认识到其作为一门与人类问题相关的科学的目的。更广泛的内涵不可避免地意味着越来越多学科的参与，每个学科都有自己的语言和局限性，但每个学科都能做出独特的贡献。因此，畸形学面临的第二个挑战是建立和扩大这些学科之间的交流。第三个挑战是致畸作用，这需要对因果关系的本质进行比简单的因果关系更深入的思考。在从后果追溯原因的同时，我们必须从原因展望其他可能的后果。致畸作用、致癌作用和诱变作用之间的关联构成了第四个挑战。第五个挑战使我们回到人类身上，存在于畸形学领域的科学家与工业界、法律界、媒体以及广大公众之间的关系之中。
