Such studies are also a
key component of risk assessments that are used by regulatory toxicologists. The recent
advent of so-called “omics” technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics,
metabonomics, etc.) form the basis of the emerging subdiscipline of toxicogenomics. The
application of these new technologies to toxicity testing is in many ways “descriptive” in
nature, yet affords great mechanistic insights into how chemicals produce their toxic effects.
This exciting new area of toxicology is discussed in more detail later in the chapter.