Endocrine Disruptors
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hormones/ˈhɔːməʊnz/ | Chemical messengers released by cells or glands that act on target cells with suitable receptors. |
| reproduction/rɪprəˈdʌkʃn/ | reproduction |
| endocrine disruptors/ˈendəʊkraɪn dɪsˈrʌptəz/ | chemicals that interfere with an animal's hormone system by mimicking or blocking hormones |
| receptor/rɪˈseptə/ | A cell or molecule that detects a stimulus or binds a specific signalling molecule to initiate a response. |
| plastics/ˈplæstɪks/ | Materials based on polymers that can be shaped during manufacture, usually with additives that modify their properties. |
Chemicals that fool the body
- The body runs on hormones 激素 — chemical messengers.
- They control growth, reproduction, and development.
- Some pollutants can interfere with these signals.
- These are endocrine disruptors 内分泌干扰物.
How they trick the body
- A disruptor's shape can copy a natural hormone.
- It slots into the hormone's receptor 受体 like a fake key.
- The body reads it as a real signal — but it is false.
- Or it can block the receptor, so the real hormone can't act.
Endocrine disruptors mimic or block hormones at their receptors
An endocrine disruptor is a chemical that…
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An endocrine disruptor interferes with hormones — the chemical messengers that control the body.
Where they come from
- Some are found in certain plastics 塑料.
- Others come from pesticides and industrial chemicals.
- They wash into rivers and enter the food and water we use.
- From there they build up in animals and people.
How an endocrine disruptor fools the body
Follow a chemical that copies a hormone and sends the body false signals.
Many endocrine disruptors work by…
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Their shape copies a hormone, so they slot into its receptor and send false signals.
Endocrine disruptors are found in some pesticides and in certain ____.
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Some plastics and pesticides contain chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors.
Why they are dangerous
- Hormones work in tiny amounts, so even a trace can cause harm.
- Disruptors damage reproduction 繁殖 and development.
- They can cause defects in young animals and people.
- Whole populations of frogs and fish have been affected.
Endocrine disruptors can cause harm even at very low concentrations.
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Hormones work in tiny amounts, so even a trace of a disruptor can throw the system off.
Select all harms linked to endocrine disruptors.
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Disruptors harm reproduction, development, and growth. They weaken the body, not strengthen it.
What makes endocrine disruptors so dangerous is that a tiny dose can matter. Most poisons need a large dose to harm you — but hormones already work at trace levels, so a chemical that mimics one can throw the whole system off even in minute amounts. That breaks the usual "the dose makes the poison" rule, and makes them hard to regulate.
Frogs in a polluted pond:
- A pesticide washes off nearby fields into the pond at very low levels.
- The chemical mimics a hormone, slotting into the frogs' receptors and scrambling their development.
- The next generation of tadpoles grows up with deformities and cannot breed properly — a whole population harmed by a trace of a hormone-mimicking chemical.
Endocrine disruptors are pollutants that interfere with the body's hormones, often by mimicking them and slotting into a receptor to send false signals. They come from some plastics, pesticides, and industrial chemicals. Because hormones act in tiny amounts, disruptors can harm reproduction and development even at very low concentrations.