ABSTRACT
The exposure of the living organisms, including man, to a wide variety of physical, chemical and biological agents, both environmental and industrial, has enhanced the importance of evolving techniques for biomonitoring. The techniques can be used to monitor damage caused to the cell, including chromosomes and different organelles, without necessarily indicating the specific source. Strains of yeast have been utilized in vitro as indicators of reverse mutations, gene conversion, mitotic recombination, aneuploidy and other forms of chromosome damage. Higher plants have been used extensively for monitoring genotoxicity of chemicals due to the complexity of their genomes, their capacity in some cases to activate promutagens to mutagens and the ease of their use. Micronucleus test has also been utilized in different plants, following exposure to radiation. Micronuclei are taken to indicate non-disjunction, resulting in whole chromosomes or acentric fragments being left out of the spindle.
