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Related Concept Videos

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype02:27

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
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Global Climate Change01:50

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Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
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Global Regulatory Systems

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Endocrine Signaling01:45

Endocrine Signaling

Endocrine cells produce hormones to communicate with remote target cells found in other organs. The hormone reaches these distant areas using the circulatory system. This exposes the whole organism to the hormone but only those cells expressing hormone receptors or target cells are affected. Thus, endocrine signaling induces slow responses from its target cells but these effects also last longer.
Endocrine Signaling01:45

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Endocrine cells produce hormones to communicate with remote target cells found in other organs. The hormone reaches these distant areas using the circulatory system. This exposes the whole organism to the hormone but only those cells expressing hormone receptors or target cells are affected. Thus, endocrine signaling induces slow responses from its target cells but these effects also last longer.
Gene-Environment Interactions01:20

Gene-Environment Interactions

Gene expression is a dynamic process that is significantly influenced by environmental factors. This interaction underlies the complex nature of biological development and the phenotypic differences observed among individuals, even among those with identical genetic makeups. Factors such as radiation, temperature, behavior, nutrition, and stress play pivotal roles in determining how genes are expressed. The concept of the reaction range is central to understanding this interaction. It posits...

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Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid
09:09

Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

Published on: August 8, 2017

Comparative endocrinology, environment and global change.

John C Wingfield1

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA. jcwingfield@ucdavis.edu

General and Comparative Endocrinology
|June 19, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Organisms face environmental stresses impacting life cycles, reproduction, and survival. Understanding these impacts is crucial for conservation and basic biology, especially with climate change and human disturbance.

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Area of Science:

  • Comparative endocrinology
  • Stress biology
  • Conservation biology

Background:

  • Organisms rely on environmental cues for life cycle timing.
  • Environmental and social stresses negatively affect vertebrate life history stages.
  • Global climate change and human activities introduce novel stressors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how organisms respond to environmental and social stresses.
  • To understand the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying stress responses.
  • To highlight the need for integrated studies in stress biology.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on stress responses in vertebrates.
  • Emphasis on comparative endocrinology to elucidate mechanisms.
  • Call for integration of ecological, evolutionary, and mechanistic approaches.

Main Results:

  • Environmental stresses can disrupt migration, reproduction, and molting.
  • Altered environmental signals due to global change can cause phenological mismatches.
  • Many populations exhibit reduced reproductive success or decline under stress.

Conclusions:

  • Organisms' responses to environmental cues are vital for life cycle regulation.
  • Comparative endocrinology is essential for understanding stress response mechanisms.
  • Integrated research is urgently needed to address the impacts of global change on wildlife.