Зоологический журнал

МЕТОД МОРФОФИЗИОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ ИНДИКАТОРОВ В ЭКОЛОГИИ НАЗЕМНЫХ ПОЗВОНОЧНЫХ ЖИВОТНЫХ

ШВАРЦ С.С.

The study of the complex of morpho-physiological peculiarities in animals under natural conditions may be successfully applied to the development of certain ecological and general biological problems. In the works of the Laboratory of Zoology of the Institute of Biology (Acad. Sci. USSR) the size of heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, intestine and its sections, hypophisis and adrenal gland, the content of erythrocytes and hemoglobine, activity of certain digestive enzymes, vitamin A content in liver and some jther anatomical and physiological characters of animals were used as the principal indices.This method is named by the author "method of morpho-physiological indices". The principal fields of the application of the method recommended are pointed out, the main of which are the following ones: the study of biological specifity of populations, micropopulations and age groups of animals; the study of seasonal changes in the status of animals; biological evaluation of anatomical peculiarities; study of the regularities of growth and development of animals; the study of principal directions of animal adaptations to specific environmental conditions etc.