Random Analogies

"The electron affinity is like ionization energy. It is the energy required to add an electron to a neutral atom in the gas phase.

The general trends in EA are hard to
discern

We expect EA to decrease in magnitude
(less negative) down a group as we move further from the nucleus. Only observed for Groups 1 and 8, or elements after Ne.

We expect EA to increase (more negative) across a row as the nuclear charge increases and size decreases. There are plenty of exceptions to this"

"Unlike buying a car which has a specific, albeit negotiable, price, neither the buyer (the patient) nor the seller (the physician, health practice, hospital) have any idea what the price is at the time that the service is delivered. If you are uninsured, the provider can charge whatever they feel like for the services, which is typically 3x to 5x the negotiated price to a health insurance provider, enough to ruin anyone financially for the rest of their life. Until there is transparency in health care pricing there can't be a free market in health care services. "

A comment from the Yahoo Board

In many cases a teratogen is a mutagen, that causes malformation as an embryo is developing. Some analogies for mutagens are in the link.