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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Mar 19.
Published in final edited form as: Reprod Toxicol. 2020 Mar 19;92:4–10. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.03.006

Figure 1. Environmental driving force for evolution of complex multicellular systems provides foundation for systematic and comprehensive approaches for exposome epidemiology.

Figure 1.

A. The rise in atmospheric O2 about 600 to 700 million years ago provided a key environmental driving force for evolution of animal life. B. All stages of embryonic and fetal development are sensitive to the environment, indicating that research on environmental causes of disease must be systematic and cover the entire life span. C. Molecular signaling and regulatory systems are required for every aspect of development, and these are responsive to environmental agents. Comprehensive approaches are needed to identify adverse environmental exposures impacting these systems.