REPRODUCTION OF VERTEBRATES IN ECOSYSTEMS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF METALLURGICAL INDUSTRIES
The article presents research results on structural and functional organization of reproductive activity in mammals, inhabiting ecosystems affected by technogenic factors of metallurgical industries. It was established that exposure to adverse factors of metallurgical industries resulted in the impairment of puberty, morphofunctional changes in organs of reproductive system. It was observed high occurrence of convoluted seminiferous tubules with destroyed germinal epithelium, appearance of multinucleated cells in convoluted seminiferous tubules, alterations of hematotesticular barrier. Endocrine structures of testes show increased resistance to adverse factors in comparison to germinal epithelium. In female glands proportion of degenerated follicles increases, ovarian reserve depletes more rapidly.