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The need to investigate the impact of chemical contamination in the natural environment has led to the development of markers to measure the biological effects of contaminants in living organisms (biomarkers). Biomarkers of genotoxic effect are employed as tools to detect damage caused by exposure to genotoxic agents, through variation in cellular responses. Amphibians, in particular, are among the most sensitive species to environmental changes. In fact, environmental contaminants have been pointed out as the most important cause of the amphibian population's decline. The distribution of Odontophrynus cordobae is restricted to central and north-western Córdoba and some populations in the southern Santiago del Estero province, Argentina. This species combines the proper biologic and ecologic features to conduct laboratory and environmental monitoring studies. These animals are abundant and easy to collect, simple to manipulate under laboratory conditions, and present few difficulties for blood extraction using minimally invasive techniques. According to the available literature, Odontophrynus cordobae has a major sensibility to genotoxic agents in the environment when compared to others amphibians, such as Rhinella arenarum. Genotoxicity tests in peripheral blood of O. cordobae provide scientific support for in situ studies of the potential risks produced by environmental exposure to genotoxic agents.

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