%0 Journal Article %T Endocrine disruptors and their effects on puberty %A Semra £¿etinkaya %J Dicle Medical Journal %D 2009 %I Dicle University Medical School %X Endocrine disruptors and their possible impact on human health have become a topic of discussion. Endocrine disrupting chemicals are found in plastics, detergents, pesticides and industrial chemicals. Some of these persist in the environment and others do not. Some are lipophilic, sequestered in adipose tissue and secreted in milk, and others may only be present for short periods of time but at critical periods of development. Endocrine disruptors are defined as an extrogenous substance or mixture that alters the function of the endocrine system and consequently causes adverse health effects in an intact organism, or its progeny. Endocrine disruptors affect the reproductive system and they may be responsible for oligospermia, abnormality of sperm characteristics, disorders of testicular steroidogenesis, testicular atrophy, uterus weight increases and precocious puberty. In this review, we aimed to assess on exposure to endocrine disruptors and the effects of endocrine disruptors on puberty. %K Endocrine disruptors %K puberty %U http://4181.indexcopernicus.com/fulltxt.php?ICID=886038