The physiological consequences of metal and other environmental contaminants to terrestrial isopod species

The hepatopancreas and exoskeleton in terrestrial isopods are main sites for storage and regulation of metals and other contaminants acquired from the environment, mainly through the diet. Continuous exposure to sublethal dosages of these contaminants permits the animal to undergo an adaptation syndrome that facilitates the development of biochemical pathways to employ these same chemical molecules to strengthen some of the life-essential biochemical processes that maintain homeostasis. The adaptation syndrome, when incorporated into the genetic make-up, enables terrestrial isopods subjected to perpetual unfavourable conditions caused by the presence of toxicants originating from both natural and anthropogenic sources in the ecosystem, in the modification of their growth and reproductive patterns, in order to ensure the survival of their species in a continuously changing environment. The study of these processes enables one to understand mechanisms that underlie the evolution and distribution of species.