The Influence of Air Pollution on Cytogenetic Characteristics of Birch Seed Progeny

Cytogenetic characteristics (mitotic index, level and spectrum of pathological mitosis, sizes of single and pair nucleoli, frequency of polynucleolar cells, nucleoli's types, frequency of persistent nucleoli in stages of metaphase telophase of mitosis) of birch (Betula pendula Roth.) seed progeny were studied in some districts of Voronezh, which differed in degree of air pollution. The increase of spectrum and level of mitosis damages was revealed in experimental areas. The essential resistance of pathological mitosis level to different degrees of the environmental contamination has been shown. The influence of air pollution on mitotic activity was not observed. The increase of nucleoli's surface area and the number of nucleoli in cells, the appearance of persistent nucleoli at stages of metaphase telophase and the rising of cell number with high-active nucleoli's types were marked on trial territories. Possible adaptive mechanisms to stress, which are connected with changes of nucleolar characteristics, arediscussed. The correlation between cytogenetic characteristics (pathological mitosis level, surface area of single nucleoli in interphase cells) of birch seed progeny and frequency of micronuclei in children's buccal mucosa was revealed. We can conclude that cytogenetic characteristics of birch seed progeny are perspective for estimation of the environmental conditions for the humans.