用外周血淋巴细胞、骨髓细胞和上皮成纤维细胞所进行的体内和体外实验研究证明,许多化合物能引起染色体损伤。这些化合物被称之为染色体断裂剂。传统上,染色体断裂剂引起的染色体损伤的检出和监测包括筛选一定数量处于有丝分裂中期的细胞(此时染色体在细胞中最为浓缩而易于辩认),并记录显著的异常。这种异常包括染色单体或染色体的裂隙、断裂、缺失、倒位、环状和双着丝粒染色体以及染色体数目的畸变。近十年来发展的一些更精细的技术,例 In vitro and in vivo studies using peripheral blood lymphocytes, bone marrow cells, and epithelial fibroblasts have demonstrated that many compounds can cause chromosome damage. These compounds are called chromosome breakers. Traditionally, the detection and monitoring of chromosomal lesions caused by chromosomal breaks involves the screening of a number of cells that are in the middle of mitosis (where the chromosome is most concentrated in the cell and easy to identify), and records significant abnormalities. Such abnormalities include chromatid or chromosomal fissures, breaks, deletions, inversions, circular and dicentric chromosomes, and aberrations in the number of chromosomes. Some of the more elaborate technologies developed in the last decade,