From tabel 1 it is seen the biological organization pada individuals, populations, or

communities involve biochemical, physiological and histopathological parameters. For

example, effect of pollutans can measured at enzyme level, which in turn effect cellular

functions leading to necrosis and apoptosis or affecting the growth of the individual and

(Isian tabel)

Interfering in their reproductive capacity. The information outlined in tabel I

represents some of the parameters which csn be maesured at various level of orgsnizations of

biological systems. These parameters have great use as biomarkers, and have been discussed

in chapter VI of this book.

2.1 USE OF BIOINDICATORS

One of most important use of bioindicator is ist application in biomonitoring the

health of aquatic enviroment

a). To provide early warning signals of enviromental deterioration.

b). To identify cause and effect between stressors and biological response.

c). And in assessing the integrated responses of organisms to environmental stress due to

pollution as represented in the figure on next page.

The biochemical indices, which can be maesured in a quantitative wy in the

individuals, popullations and communities, arec presented in table 1 and in fig.1. the

parameters presented in table 1 are representative of a few stress induced characters at the

various levels of organization.

GAMBAR IWAK

Generally stressors can be of two types:

(i) Man - induced stressors such as pollutants and contaminants, from industries,

urban developments etc.

(ii) naturally induced stressors such as food and habitat availability which measure

the health responses in terms of biological parameters as indicated in Table - I and Figure 1,

researchers can establish the relationship between stressors and biological response effect.

Behavior also is a particular type of biomarker. It is generally included biomarkers

but a direct link may exist In the category of physiolo between the behavior of an organism

and the response to a xenobiotic and the fact that it may or may not be present in the

environment studied (escape reflex). In fact, although behavioral phenomena have a larger.

meaning as biomarkers especially when they can be observed in situ. The absence of a

biomarker or a bioindicator species in a given environment may be due either to the

disappearance of that species following the death of those individuals that were earlier

present or a behavioral response(escape) of the later.

Bioindicators therefore represent multiple measures of organism / species health,

including several levels of biological organizations and multiple time-scale responses. These

are typically used to assess the effects of environmental stresses on the health of the species.

Bioindicators can be certain groups of organisms or can range from individual species to

population or community level.

Biological sampling has been implemented to assess water quality in Biological many

studies. The purpose of this was to examine whether genetic diversity and structure of

organisms could serve as effective biomarkers of exposure to anthropogenic stressors by

comparing genetic measures with other biological indicators of water quality. Values for the

Index of Biotic Integrity By and the Invertebrate Communi y Index determinations form an

important aspect of evaluation. Starch gel electrophoresis could be used to collect genetic

data for variable enzyme loci. Genetic diversity measures may not be associated with site BI

or ICI values.

Only at the beginning of the 20th century qualitative and quantitative criteria were

proposed t evaluate the state of ecosystem with greater precision. We must also note that the

concept of Resource has significantly evolved. This term was first linked to the idea of food

resource but later it was extended to raw materials, renewable or otherwise and it now covers

concepts as diverse as those of genetic, medical, or even resources. Most recently the

concept of resources aesthetic or recreational is linked to the conservation of biodiversity.

2.2. BIOINDICATORS OF POLLUTANTS

It is evident that undesirable substances in the environment illicit some kind of a

reaction in the living systems. These reactions are of various types and differ from species to

species and from one location to another depending on a number of factors, which could be

generally defined. In the last five years literature has mounted on defining these reactions in

which they would like to denominators, order to find some common call biomarkers and

bioindicators. The term'Bio means the biological systems of living species or plants. The list

of biomarkers and bioindicator has become enormous and it is not within the scope of this

book to cover them all, however, examples quoted here are representative of several areas or

species. The development and applications of biomarkers to the study of human health

effects is like looking into a crystal ball.

Guelorget and Perthuisot(1984) have proposed a simple definition of bio-indicators,

which mean"Species or groups of species that by their presence and/or their abundance, are

significant of one or several properties of the system to which they belong". Biomarkers also

enable us to evaluate the chances of the individuals which is vital for the preservation of the

species reproductive functions, which is vital for the preservation.of the species.

Objective and critical analysis of the implementations (and operation of bioindicators

and biomarkers) in the field, rely not only in their judgment but also on other parameters.

The information contained in this book can help specialists in this field and also

environmental surveillance workers. Methods based on qualitative and quantitative

observations of living organisms in their natural environments were seen to be a potential

means of compensating for the deficiencies of chemical analysis.