- In genetics, genotoxicity describes the property of chemical agents that damages the genetic information within a cell causing mutations, which may lead to cancer.
- While genotoxicity is often confused with mutagenicity, all mutagens are genotoxic, whereas not all genotoxic substances are mutagenic.
- The alteration can have direct or indirect effects on the DNA: the induction of mutations mistimed event activation, and direct DNA damage leading to mutations.
- The permanent, heritable changes can affect either somatic cells of the organism or germ cells to be passed onto future generations.
- Cells prevent expression of the genotoxic mutation by either DNA repair or apoptosis; however, the damage may not always be fixed leading to mutagenesis.