<unk> s are a type of<unk> nohormone that imitates estrogen. They can be either synthetic or natural chemical compounds. Synthetic<unk> s include some widely used industrial compounds, such as PCBs, BPA, and phthalates, which have estrogenic effects on a living organism even though they differ chemically from the estrogenic substances produced internally by the endocrine system of any organism. Natural<unk> s include phytoestrogens which are plant-derived<unk> s. Because the primary route of exposure to these compounds is by consumption of phytoestrogenic plants, they are sometimes called "dietary estrogens". Mycoestrogens, estrogenic substances from fungi, are another type of<unk>  that are also considered mycotoxins.<unk> s are clinically significant because they can mimic the effects of endogenous estrogen and thus have been implicated in precocious puberty and other disorders of the reproductive system.<unk> s include pharmacological estrogens (estrogenic action is an intended effect, as in the drug ethinylestradiol used in contraceptive pill), but other chemicals may also have estrogenic effects.<unk> s have been introduced into the environment by industrial, agricultural and chemical companies and consumers only in the last 70 years or so, but archiestrogens exist naturally. Some plants (like the cereals and the legumes) are using estrogenic substances possibly as part of their natural defence against herbivore animals by controlling their fertility. The potential ecological and human health impact of<unk> s is of growing concern. The word<unk>  is derived from the Greek words ξένο <unk> no, meaning foreign), οἶστρος (estrus, meaning sexual desire) and γόνο (gene, meaning "to generate") and literally means "foreign estrogen".<unk> s are also called "environmental hormones" or "EDC" (Endocrine Disrupting Compounds). Most scientists that study<unk> s, including The Endocrine Society, regard them as serious environmental hazards that have hormone disruptive effects on both wildlife and humans.
Xenoestrogen
Phytoestrogen
Antiestrogen
Conjugated estrogens
Tissue-selective estrogen complex
Estrogen conjugate
Antiandrogen
Phytoprogestogen