A xenobiotic (Greek, xenos '
foreign'; bios '
life') is a compound that is
foreign to a living organism. Principal xenobiotics include: drugs;
carcinogens; and various compounds that have been introduced into the
environment by artificial means.
Source:
PAC, 1997, 69, 1251
(Glossary of terms used in bioinorganic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1997))
on page 1303
This definition replaces an earlier definition of xenobiotics.