Publication Date
Fall 2019
School
School of Health Sciences
Major
Biology: Biomedical Sciences
Keywords
xenoestrogens, environmental estrogen, reproductive health, parabens, BPA
Recommended Citation
Curtis, Emma, "Impact of Xenoestrogens on Reproductive Health" (2019). Senior Honors Theses. 932.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/932
Abstract
Xenoestrogens such as phthalates, parabens, bisphenol A, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and dioxins are compounds found in ordinary substances such as detergents, cosmetics, plastics, pesticides and herbicides (Sonnenschein & Soto, 1998). Estrogen is a vital component in the development of the male and female reproductive system. However, xenoestrogens mimic endogenous estrogenic signaling and exhibit endocrine disrupting properties that may cause long-lasting repercussions on human reproductive health. Xenoestrogen bind to both intracellular and membrane-bound estrogen receptors resulting in an inappropriate activation of tissue-specific estrogenic responses, leading to low sperm count in males and precocious puberty and polycystic ovarian syndrome in females (Shanle & Xu, 2011). Although the pathways of many xenoestrogens mechanism are unknown, the detrimental outcomes on reproductive health are evident.
