Environmental factor

An environmental factor, ecological factor or eco factor is any factor, abiotic or biotic, that influences living organisms.[1] Abiotic factors include ambient temperature, amount of sunlight, and pH of the water soil in which an organism lives. Biotic factors would include the availability of food organisms and the presence of conspecifics, competitors, predators, and parasites.

Overview
Cancer is mainly the result of environmental factors[2]

An organism's genotype (e.g., in the zygote) translated into the adult phenotype through development during an organism's ontogeny, and subject to influences by many environmental effects. In this context, a phenotype (or phenotypic trait) can be viewed as any definable and measurable characteristic of an organism, such as its body mass or skin color.

Apart from the true monogenic genetic disorders, environmental factors may determine the development of disease in those genetically predisposed to a particular condition. Stress, physical and mental abuse, diet, exposure to toxins, pathogens, radiation and chemicals found in almost all personal-care products and household cleaners are common environmental factors that determine a large segment of non-hereditary disease.

If a disease process is concluded to be the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factor influences, its etiological origin can be referred to as having a multifactorial pattern.

Cancer is often related to environmental factors.[2] Maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, minimizing alcohol and eliminating smoking reduces the risk of developing the disease, according to researchers.[2]

Environmental triggers for asthma[3] and autism[4] have been studied too.

See also

References
  1. Gilpin, A. 1996. Dictionary of Environment and Sustainable Development. John Wiley and Sons. 247 p.
  2. Gallagher, James (17 December 2015). "Cancer is not just 'bad luck' but down to environment, study suggests". BBC. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  3. "Asthma and Its Environmental Triggers", National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, May 2006, retrieved 5 March 2010
  4. "Study showing evidence of a major environmental trigger for autism", November 10, 2008 navjot PhysOrg, retrieved 5 March 2010
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.