Processing of Environmental Information in Vertebrates

In just one concise and lucidly written volume a multitude of topics is covered introducing the results of extensive research on the processing of environmental information in vertebrates. Practical examples are provided to illustrate points made in the text. Many factors, both from the external environment and from within the animals own cells or tissue makeup can directly serve as a pressure to elicit physiological and/or behavioral responses in the organisms studied. Light intensity, photoperiod, circadian rhythms, seasonal variation and daylenght, just to name a few, are among the environmental factors that are correlated in these studies to behavioral or hormonal changes, organ function, and reproduction. This work will serve as a guidebook and easy reference source for students and research professionals in physiology, endocrinology, comparative zoology, and veterinary science.

Contenu

Contents: Photoperiod Effects on Thyroid Function in Fish.- Neuroendocrine Processing of Environmental Information in Amphibians.- Circadian Organization in Lizards: Perception, Translation and Transduction of Photic and Thermal Information.- Hormones, Behavior and the Environment: An Evolutionary Perspective.- Circadian Locomotor Rhythms in Birds Correlate with and May Be Explained by Rhythms in Serotonin, N-Acetyltransferase and Melatonin.- Daylength and Control of Seasonal Reproduction in Male Birds.- Changes in Reproductive Function of Free-Living Birds in Direct Response to Environmental Perturbation.- The Influence of Light on the Mammalian Fetus.- Neuroendocrine Mechanisms Mediating the Photoperiodic Control of Reproductive Function in Sheep.- Photoperiodism and Seasonality in Hamsters: Role of the Pineal Gland.- Reproductive Refractoriness in Hamsters: Environmental and Endocrine Etiologies.- Index.