Through a temporal window, we see isotopic signatures
- Senshu Univ. of Ishinomaki, Miyagi (Japan)
Stable isotope composition of bioelements is different between diet and assimilated tissues. Furthermore, the apparent fractionation factors from diet to tissues seem to differ among different tissues: each tissue of an organism reflects the isotope abundances of diet in a different manner. The turnover rate of a tissue, its biochemical composition, its immediate source, and distribution of available resources within an individuals body are among the possible factors that would affect the fractionation factor. Stable isotope composition of an animal tissue or particular biochemical molecules would give a glimpse of the animal itself and its environments only through a particular window, whose width and height are dependent on many factors including animal age. Some tissues that form in a relatively short period during which material exchanges in an animal body can be considered nearly in a steady state would give a clearly defined window frame. One example is feathers of adult birds: the change in the isotope composition from diet to the tissue has been shown stable with time. Tissues formed during a rapid growth of animal body or during a metamorphosis would be an example of another extreme, the window frame being subject to a rapid change with time in its shape. Isotopic knowledge on characteristics of the window is needed to extend the applicability of stable isotope study into researches in ecogeochemistry and environmental chemistry.
- OSTI ID:
- 191316
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9610%%317
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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