mutagen, any agent capable of altering the genetic constitution of a cell by changing the structure of the hereditary material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Many forms of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., cosmic rays, X rays, ultraviolet light) are mutagenic, as are a variety of chemical compounds. The effects of some mutagens are potentiated (increased) or suppressed in some organisms by the presence of certain other, nonmutagenic substances; oxygen, for example, makes cells more sensitive to the mutagenic effects of X rays.