高山植物的形态、结构和生理特征

高山植物是在高海拔地区或树线以上高山气候条件下生长的植物物种的总称,是植物长期适应高山恶劣环境而高度特化的结果。高山植物的类群主要包括多年生禾草、莎草、非禾草的垫状植物、苔藓、地衣等。有些高山植物也是药用植物。高山植物为了生存和繁殖种群,必须适应严酷的高山环境,包括低温、干旱、强紫外辐射和较短的生长季。从植株形态、器官解剖结构、光合作用、元素利用等方面阐述高山植物的基本特征及其适应高山环境的内在机制。在全球气候变化的大环境下,研究高山植物对环境的响应和适应性具有重要的理论意义。     

高山植物对其环境的生理生态适应性研究进展

高山林线植物(林木和草本)由于生长环境特殊而形成其独特的适应环境的生理生态特性.该文对近年来国内外有关高山植物、特别是林线林木在形态解剖结构、光合作用、养分利用和碳水化合物及抗氧化系统等方面对高山环境的生理生态适应性的研究进展进行综述,指出了林线树种生理生态适应性研究方面的不足,并提出了今后高山林线树种生理生态需要研究的方向,以期为研究气候变化下高山林线植物的应对策略和适应机制提供参考.     

青藏高原地区刺山柑解剖特征研究

采用石蜡切片法对分布于海拔4 000 m的西藏札达的刺山柑解剖结构进行研究,进一步探讨青藏高原植物独特生理结构及其与环境的适应性。结果表明刺山柑具有适应高山荒漠草原环境的典型结构特征: 次生根周皮发达,具有较厚的木栓层和发达的次生木质部;茎具表皮毛和角质层,皮层较厚,厚角组织发达,髓较小;叶具角质层,气孔密集,栅栏组织多层,为双栅型等面叶;花冠较大,白色花瓣,适于虫媒传粉;侧膜胎座,子房多室,胚珠多数,花粉外壁较厚,具较强的抗腐蚀及抗酸碱性能。刺山柑形成上述结构特征是青藏高原特殊综合生态环境长期作用的结果。同时也是刺山柑对高原环境的高度适应。     

高山植物光合机构耐受胁迫的适应机制

植物的光合作用是易受环境影响的重要生理过程之一.高山植物作为生长在特定极端环境(低温/强辐射)下的植物群体,其光合器官在形态结构和生理功能上形成了抵御强辐射和低温胁迫的特殊适应机制.但由于较高的生境异质性,高山植物的光保护适应机制存在较大的差异.光保护适应机制与光合作用密切关联,影响植物的碳同化能力和生物量的形成能力.本文对近年来国内外有关高山植物光合器官叶绿体的形态、超微解剖结构及光合机构光保护适应机理的研究进展进行了综述,并提出了今后高山植物光合作用生理适应性研究的方向.     

高山植物叶片δ13C的海拔响应及其机理

植物 1 3C的分辨研究已成为植物生态学和全球碳循环研究的核心问题之一。植物 1 3C的分辨是环境和生物因子共同作用的综合结果 ,海拔梯度变化不仅可以造成植物生存环境的变化 ,而且还可以造成植物形态和生理特征的变化 ,因此 ,高山植物 1 3C分辨随海拔的变化为深入揭示植物 1 3C分辨的环境和生物因子的作用机理提供了非常理想的研究条件。在简单介绍植物 1 3C分辨基本理论的基础上 ,对目前国际上高山植物 1 3C分辨的海拔响应研究进行了述评。重点介绍了随海拔变化的大气 1 3C组成、温度、气压、水分等环境因子和植物叶片的气孔导度、羧化效率、氮含量和叶肉细胞导度等生物因子对高山 C3植物 1 3C分辨的影响 ,指出高山植物 1 3C分辨的海拔响应机理仍存在一些不确定性 ,为国内相关研究的开展提供了一定参考     

青藏高原高山区和泛北极地区种子植物多倍体比较

多倍化是植物快速适应极端环境胁迫的一种重要机制。青藏高原高山区和泛北极地区具有相似的极端低温环境, 且两地的植物曾有密切的交流和联系。然而, 多倍体物种对两地植物区系生物多样性的贡献是否相同仍不清楚。我们系统地收集两地已有染色体数目和倍性报道的种子植物物种名录, 共计1,770种, 其中青藏高原高山区774种, 泛北极地区996种; 同时也相应地收集了每个物种的生活型信息。分析显示青藏高原高山区多倍体植物的比例为20.9%, 泛北极地区多倍体植物比例为61.5%; 青藏高原高山区一年生草本、多年生草本和木本植物中多倍体的比例分别为20.7%、21.6%和12.8%, 泛北极地区一年生草本、多年生草本和木本植物中多倍体的比例分别为60.2%、65.5%和38.3%。这些结果表明泛北极地区比青藏高原高山区具有较高比例的多倍体物种。青藏高原高山植物区系在渐新世‒中新世之交开始兴起, 此时高原已达到一定高度, 而后的高寒环境相对稳定, 致使多倍体物种相对较少; 而泛北极地区植物区系在3-4 Ma兴起, 此后经历了冰期‒间冰期、海平面波动等反复剧烈的气候环境变化, 可能促进了大量的多倍化事件发生。本研究通过比较青藏高原高山区和泛北极地区植物多倍体物种的比例, 揭示了两地多倍体比例差异的可能原因, 将提高对多倍体适应极端环境的理解。     

高山植物全缘叶绿绒蒿叶片形态及解剖结构对海拔的响应

为了阐明高山植物全缘叶绿绒蒿(Meconopsis integrifolia)对海拔及高山环境的形态学适应特征,沿海拔梯度选择了5个海拔的全缘叶绿绒蒿分布区域(3681、3841、4081、4215和4452 m),采用常规石蜡制片技术和显微观察方法,对其形态及叶片解剖结构进行了研究。结果表明:随着海拔的升高,株型方面,全缘叶绿绒蒿的株高、基径逐渐减小;叶片形态方面,叶片逐渐变小,叶形逐渐狭长,具体表现为叶片长度、宽度逐渐减小,叶片长宽比逐渐增大;叶片解剖结构方面,叶片厚度、表皮细胞厚度、海绵组织厚度、组织疏松度及中脉直径呈减小趋势;栅栏组织厚度、栅海厚度比、组织紧密度呈增大趋势;叶表皮结构方面,叶片表皮毛密度、气孔密度及气孔指数均呈增大趋势。此外,解剖结构指标之间大多呈现出明显的协同进化,各形态指标对海拔的变化表现出较大的可塑性。全缘叶绿绒蒿形态及叶片解剖结构在不同海拔上表现出的这种差异,可能是植物长期适应高山复杂环境的结果。     

高山植物叶片δ 13C的海拔响应及其机理

植物13C的分辨研究已成为植物生态学和全球碳循环研究的核心问题之一.植物13C的分辨是环境和生物因子共同作用的综合结果,海拔梯度变化不仅可以造成植物生存环境的变化,而且还可以造成植物形态和生理特征的变化,因此,高山植物13C分辨随海拔的变化为深入揭示植物13C分辨的环境和生物因子的作用机理提供了非常理想的研究条件.在简单介绍植物13C分辨基本理论的基础上,对目前国际上高山植物13C分辨的海拔响应研究进行了述评.重点介绍了随海拔变化的大气13C组成、温度、气压、水分等环境因子和植物叶片的气孔导度、羧化效率、氮含量和叶肉细胞导度等生物因子对高山C3植物13C分辨的影响,指出高山植物13C分辨的海拔响应机理仍存在一些不确定性,为国内相关研究的开展提供了一定参考.     

藏荠营养器官解剖结构及其与环境的关系

藏荠属十字花科植物,生长于高山冰缘地带,为典型的高山耐寒植物。采用石蜡切片方法对藏荠的根、茎和叶3种营养器官的解剖结构进行观察分析,以揭示其形态与环境适应性的关系。结果显示:藏荠在长期的演化过程中,根、茎和叶均具有发达的通气组织;叶片表面有明显的蜡质层和表皮毛;栅栏组织为2～4层,海绵组织明显减少;根横切面呈"车轮形",具有明显的带状加厚和发达的腔髓组织;根和茎的表皮细胞和皮层细胞均有类似"质壁分离"现象。研究表明,藏荠在结构上具有明显抵御大风、低温、干旱等逆境的生态适应特征,这些独特的结构可能是其长期适应高山冰缘环境的结果。     

高山植物繁殖策略的研究进展

高山地区通常被认为是陆地上最为极端的生境之一,但却拥有许多形态特化的植物和较高的物种多样性。高山植物如何在严酷的环境中实现成功繁殖,这一问题倍受研究者们的关注。本文综合了国内外高山植物在资源分配、花形态对非生物环境因子的响应、动物传粉及其适应机制、果实和种子及克隆繁殖等繁殖策略方面的文献。为应对低温多雨雪的恶劣环境,一些高山植物采取花向日性、花冠闭合及花序保温结构等繁殖策略。高山植物的传粉者类群也发生了改变,主要为蜂类和蝇类。熊蜂(Bombusspp.)传粉的高效性,减少了高山环境对植物传粉造成的不利影响。当传粉者不可得时,植物不仅通过延迟自交和自助自交等机制来提供繁殖保障,还借助克隆繁殖及其他传粉机制(风媒或风虫媒)来维持种群的繁衍。依赖动物传粉的高山植物,可以采取增加繁殖构件的资源分配、加大"广告"投入以及较大的花展示或较长的花寿命来提高传粉者的拜访几率,以及借助泛化的花结构和选择合适的开花时间等策略来提高繁殖成功率。此外,大部分高山植物产生干果且具有持久的种子库,有利于种子的传播以及种子寻找萌发及幼苗生长的最佳外界环境。在今后的研究中,可着重探讨以下几个问题:(1)非生物环境因子对花形态的选择;(2)季节变化与繁殖策略;(3)群落水平上植物与传粉者的关系;(4)高山生态系统对全球变暖的响应。     

Race and Racism in America and in Anthropology

Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a Worldview . Audrey Smedley
Anthropology and Race . Eugenia Shanklin     

Degradation and conversion of somatostatin in normal and diabetic rats in vivo and in vitro

Plasma somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the portal and jugular veins of streptozotocin diabetic rats was compared with that in normal control rats. In the diabetic group, somatostatin levels in the portal (p less than 0.05) and jugular (p less than 0.01) veins were both elevated compared with those in the control group. Moreover, the degree of elevation was greater in the jugular vein than in the portal vein. To further investigate the role of the liver in the clearance of somatostatin-28 in vivo, 2 micrograms of somatostatin-28 was administered as a bolus into the external jugular vein of intact and functionally hepatectomized rats. The mean half-time of somatostatin-28 was significantly longer in intact diabetic rats than in controls (p less than 0.05). The functional hepatectomy did not cause a significant difference in the half-time in diabetic rats but made it longer in control rats. These results suggest that the longer half-time of somatostatin-28 in diabetic rats in vivo is due to its slower hepatic clearance. The hepatic clearance of somatostatin-28 and somatostatin-14 was further studied in vitro using a recirculating liver perfusion method. The hepatic clearance of 1.2 nM of either somatostatin-28 or somatostatin-14 was significantly lower in diabetic rats than in controls (p less than 0.01). This indicates that elevated plasma somatostatin levels in diabetic rats are caused at least in part by decreased hepatic clearance of somatostatin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Trajectories and Constraints in Brain Evolution in Primates and Cetaceans

A negative allometric relationship between body mass (BM) and brain size (BS) can be observed for many vertebrate groups. In the past decades, researchers have proposed several hypotheses to explain this finding, but none is definitive and some are possibly not mutually exclusive. Certain species diverge markedly (positively or negatively) from the mean of the ratio BM/BS expected for a particular taxonomic group. It is possible to define encephalization quotient (EQ) as the ratio between the actual BS and the expected brain size. Several cetacean species show higher EQs compared to all primates, except modern humans. The process that led to big brains in primates and cetaceans produced different trajectories, as shown by the organizational differences observed in every encephalic district (e.g., the cortex). However, these two groups both convergently developed complex cognitive abilities. The comparative study on the trajectories through which the encephalization process has independently evolved in primates and cetaceans allows a critical appraisal of the causes, the time and the mode of quantitative and qualitative development of the brain in our species and in the hominid evolutionary lineage.     

Variation in infectivity and aggressiveness in space and time in wild host-pathogen systems: causes and consequences

Variation in host resistance and in the ability of pathogens to infect and grow (i.e. pathogenicity) is important as it provides the raw material for antagonistic (co)evolution and therefore underlies risks of disease spread, disease evolution and host shifts. Moreover, the distribution of this variation in space and time may inform us about the mode of coevolutionary selection (arms race vs. fluctuating selection dynamics) and the relative roles of G × G interactions, gene flow, selection and genetic drift in shaping coevolutionary processes. Although variation in host resistance has recently been reviewed, little is known about overall patterns in the frequency and scale of variation in pathogenicity, particularly in natural systems. Using 48 studies from 30 distinct host–pathogen systems, this review demonstrates that variation in pathogenicity is ubiquitous across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Quantitative analysis of a subset of extensively studied plant–pathogen systems shows that the magnitude of within‐population variation in pathogenicity is large relative to among‐population variation and that the distribution of pathogenicity partly mirrors the distribution of host resistance. At least part of the variation in pathogenicity found at a given spatial scale is adaptive, as evidenced by studies that have examined local adaptation at scales ranging from single hosts through metapopulations to entire continents and – to a lesser extent – by comparisons of pathogenicity with neutral genetic variation. Together, these results support coevolutionary selection through fluctuating selection dynamics. We end by outlining several promising directions for future research.     

Deoxynivalenol and nivalenol in wheat and by-products in Argentina

The deoxynivalenol and nivalenol contamination in wheat and by-products obtained through milling was analized by Trucksess method slightly modified in the proportion of acetonitrile—water (3:1). Only one sample of wheat showed deoxynivalenol contamination, 1,200μg/kg. No samples obtained in different stages of the milling were contaminated with deoxynivalenol or nivalenol. In the commercial wheat flours the levels found ranged between 400 and 800μg/kg, as follows: 400μ/kg, 5 samples; 800jug/kg, 1 sample.     

Obestatin and ghrelin in obese and in pregnant women

We identified, through qPCR, receptor mRNA for a number of gut peptides in female human omental fat: the incretins, GIP and GLP-1, the orexigenic peptides PYY-Y1 and -Y2 and ghrelin, and the anorexigenic peptide obestatin. Four cohorts of women were examined: lean controls (BMI<23), obese (BMI>41), obese diabetic and term pregnant women. Human fat expressed receptor mRNAs for all six peptides. Pregnant women expressed roughly three times as much orphan GPR-39 receptor, a proposed obestatin receptor, than other women and less than half as much of the ghrelin receptor (GHSR-1a). An immunoblot probed with a GPR-39 selective antibody yielded a single band corresponding to the correct molecular weight (52 kDa) for the proposed obestatin receptor. Fluorescent immunohistochemistry of human fat employing the same antibody indicated the receptor protein was localized to the adipocyte cell membrane. The concentration of obestatin circulating in blood was measured in the same cohort of women and was significantly lower in obese and obese diabetic women compared to control.     

Electroejaculation in chimpanzees and gorillas and artificial insemination in chimpanzees

Electroejaculation was performed in 3 chimpanzees, 1 pygmy chimpanzee, and 2 gorillas with an instrument that delivers a modified sine wave current with a frequency of 24 Hz. The current stimuli were applied by a rectal probe with longitudinal electrodes. The electrical parameters varied from 6 to 12 V and from 30 to 40 mA for response of erection and lay between 8 and 18 V and between 40 and 145 mA during semen emission. Eleven chimpanzee semen samples showed the following data (x ± SD): total volume 1.9 ± 1.3 ml, volume of the liquid fraction 0.3 ± 0.2 ml, spermatozoa per ejaculate 743 ± 376 × 10⁶, sperm motility 52.7 ± 9.6%, morphologically abnormal spermatozoa 12.2 ± 7.5%. From an adult gorilla, three semen samples were collected, in each case without spermatozoa. The electrostimulation of a 6-year-old gorilla led to an erection, but not to semen emission. Three female chimpanzees were inseminated with fresh or frozen semen, each of them within three different estrous cycles. None of these inseminations led to a pregnancy.