Environmental influences during development and their later consequences for health and disease: implications for the interpretation of empirical studies.

Abstract excerpt

Early experience has a particularly great effect on most organisms. Normal development may be disrupted by early environmental influences; individuals that survive have to cope with the damaging consequences. Additionally, the responses required to cope with environmental challenges in early life may have long-term effects on the adult organism. A further set of processes, those of developmental plasticity, may...

Topics

• Adaptation, Physiological
• Animals
• Disease Susceptibility
• Environment
• Female
• Fetal Development
• Humans
• Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
• Phenotype
• Pregnancy
• Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects