teratological defect

a structural or functional abnormality in offspring caused by hereditary factors or an environmental influence, such as maternal exposure to drugs or X-rays during pregnancy. Examples of such defects include Down syndrome, associated with abnormal genetic factors, and the thalidomide syndrome, marked by deformed arms and legs and caused by thalidomide taken during the mother’s pregnancy.

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Psychology term of the day

October 18th 2024

cofigurative culture

a society or culture in which people learn chiefly from other people in the same age group, so that, for example, children learn mostly from children and young adults from young adults. Compare postfigurative culture; prefigurative culture. [coined by U.S. anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901–1978)]