Lee Seaman

Teratology Terms List

This is a partial list of terms used to describe teratologic developments and aberrations in rodents. Please send corrections and additions to Lee Seaman.

• Differentiation in pups
• separation of ear auricles
• appearance of dorsal hair
• eruption of lower incisors
• separation of eyelids
• descent of testicles
• vaginal opening

• Pregnancy and births
• No. of mothers
• No. of implants
• No. of pups born
• birth index (No. of pups born alive/No. of implants × 100)
• sex ratio
• copulation rate (No. of copulations/No. of pairs x 100)
• pregnancy rate (No. of pregnants/No. of copulations x 100)
• implantation rate

• Delivery of dams
• pregnant
• delivery index (%) (No. of dams delivered live pups/No. of pregnant females × 100)
• length of gestation

• Dams used
• No. of rats with successful copulation
• cesarean section
• normal delivery
• preterm delivery
• nonpregnant
• dead
• intubation error

• External anomalies (late-stage fetuses and pups)
• anal atresia
• anury
• subcutaneous hemorrhage
• exencephalocele

• Skeletal observation
• Degree of ossification
• incomplete ossification of supraoccipitals
• incomplete ossification of sternabrae
• non-ossified metacarpals
• non-ossified proximal phalanges of forelimbs
• non-ossified metatarsals
• non-ossified proximal phalanges of hind limbs
• No. of ossified caudal vertebrae

• Visceral observation of fetuses
• Visceral anomalies
• dilation of renal pelvis
• thymic remnant in neck
• left umbilical artery
• ventricular septal defect
• dilation of lateral ventricle, third and fourth ventricle

• Teratological observation of fetuses
• No. of litters examined
• No. of corpora lutea
• No. of implants
• implantation rate
• No. of live fetuses
• No. of resorbed or dead fetuses
• implantation sites
• placental remnants
• macerated fetuses (early macerated fetus, late macerated fetus)
• early resorption (= implantation remnant and placental remnant)
• late resorption (= early macerated fetus)
• dead fetuses
• Fetal mortality

• Functional observation
• visual placing reflex
• pinna reflex

• Emotionality
• latency
• ambulation
• grooming
• rearing
• preening
• defecation
• urination

• Shuttle box performance
• total avoidance
• avoidance latency
• escape latency

• Visceral observation in males after mating
• unilateral testicular atrophy
• hypertrophy of cecum