what is a carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen
Best Answer: Mutagen: a substance that causes mutation, i.e. that causes changes in genes. Teratogen: Substance that deforms the fetus in the womb and so induces birth defects. Carcinogen: a substance that causes cancer. All of them give undesirable defects in human beings, the difference is obvious from the definitions.
In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic material, usually DNA, of an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations can cause cancer, mutagens are therefore also likely to be carcinogens, although not always necessarily so. Some chemicals only become mutagenic through cellular processes. Not all mutations are caused by mutagens: so-called spontaneous mutations occur due to spontaneous hydrolys