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5137777 
Technical Report 
Biodiversity of ecotoxicological responses in animals 
Van Straalen, NM 
1994 
BRILL 
LEIDEN 
44 
1-2 
112-129 
English 
WOS:A1994PH75000009 
BIOSIS COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. Although the results of ecotoxicological research have had a great influence on environmental policy, the scientific basis of the field is still underdeveloped, in particular regarding the formulation of theory and general rules based on causal mechanisms. This is partly due to the fact that the insight in conditions that determine toxicity is much better developed on the side of chemical substances than it is on the side of biological receptors. To strengthen the field of ecotoxicology, it is necessary to know the properties of ecological receptors on which environmental chemicals may act. An ecological receptor may be defined as a species that is vulnerable through a combination of high exposure, inherent sensitivity and weak ability to recover. Sensitivity is determined by processes such as internal distribution of chemicals, metabolism, detoxication and excretion. A possible way to map patterns of sensitivity is to compare the activity of detoxication enzymes such a 
ADAPTATION; BIOTRANSFORMATION; GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE; HEAVY METALS; ISOPODA; LIFE-HISTORY; LUMBRICIDAE; POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS