teratism

/ˈtɛrəˌtɪzəm/
noun
  1. The condition of being severely malformed or abnormal; also, the study of such abnormalities.
    • Teratism is a rare field of study within developmental biology.
    • Doctors in the 19th century often wrote about teratism without understanding its genetic causes.
    • The museum's exhibit on teratism showed preserved specimens of unusual organisms.