From comparative physiology to toxicological risk assessment.

1. Comparative physiology may help to improve the toxicologists' ability to assess and predict toxicological risks of chemicals. 2. Three main lines of approach have been distinguished, A: comparative research concerning the toxicokinetics of chemicals in different species; B: research concerning ecophysiological characteristics and C: studies aimed at the identification of biological markers that can be used to signal toxic effects in both experimental and free living populations of organisms. 3. Some remarks are made on limiting conditions to be fulfilled in order to make comparative physiology valuable from a toxicological point of view.