Chemical Consequences2004

Annotation Here is the first historical and sociological account of the formation of an interdisciplinary science known as genetic toxicology, and of the scientists' social movement that created it. After research geneticists discovered that synthetic chemical were capable of changing the genetic structure of living organisms, scientists began to explore how these chemicals affected gene structure and function. In the late 1960s, a small group of biologists became concerned that chemical mutagens represented a serious and possibly global environmental threat. Genetic toxicology is nurtured as much by public culture as by professional practices, reflecting the interplay of genetics research and environmental politics. Drawing on a wealth of resources, Scott Frickel examines the creation of...