Zmiany tempa rozwoju w ontogenezie człowieka i metody jego badania

Abstrakt w języku polskim nie jest dostępny

Perspektywiczne kierunki rozwoju biologii człowieka w Polsce, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem auksologii

Protoculture has already existed in animals and is manifested by using a natural object as a tool or by coping the habits of another animals being successful in doing something. At the beginning it was the practice of everyday life, the act of survival, what can be understood as “technique”. After that the process of rational cognition (theory) takes place, and innovative theories propagate the “science” development. Science discovers rules in our nature and society as well as in human activity called culture. Science is a certain sphere of consciousness including self-consciousness, thus science could be created together with consciousness, as a product of thinking mind. Such mind is possessed by humans only. Probably, science has been developed till nowadays following the technological progress. Most likely generalizations of tools behaviors and social contacts have caused brain development and favored abstraction, future vision and articular speech. Since the beginning of Civilization, science had been created not because there was a demand for it, but as the reflection on human life, the result of technical achievements, and as the answer for the question “why does it happen?” When man has protected his basic requirements and received nutritional surplus above daily needs, he has gained a little free time for contemplation, and his reflections have directed the civilization development. In this case, the only way: “thinking is the action” is not adequate. Science, as a turn, causes a revolution in technology, but does not serve for small engineering improvements, as revolutions have also a destructive face. As long as evolution strengthens and improves existing system, revolution destroys the old system, and the new one may fail to be good. If science has been interfered in technique continuously, the technical progress which makes our life easier would have been stopped. Science takes into account cognition of existence, as well as, the realities which are still unknown according to their being and functions. Propagation of knowledge belongs to education, whereas invention of artifacts (things which do not come into existence simultaneously) belongs to technique, engineering and art. The main aim of science is the summary (generalization) of technical and engineering achievements, which may serve as verification of the process of cognition. Science, as a tool of intellectual cognition, should provide a better contact with surrounding world, nature and universe. It should also serve human development and help to understand the sense of our existence, promote ability of thinking and intellectual self-realization. In the context of previous considerations, there are four, very important problems in human biology, especially in auxology. The first one concerns directions of studies on the basis of current information concerning mechanism of ontogeny causing variation in body build and functions of contemporary human populations. The second one deals with dissemination of knowledge in human biology, on the university and general levels. The third problem is about application of human biology and ecology in medical and pedagogic practice, as well as concerns the evaluation of planned engineering actions, changes in human life environment. There is also a fourth problem, which varies in particular countries, and it includes the state of each scientific anthropological atmosphere. In most of countries, physical anthropology is still understood as natural history on Man, his variation in time and space, and as the biological base for social practices. However, the main accent which included anthropogenesis, rasogenesis, and ethnogenesis has changed into mechanisms of adaptation to changing environment (also understood as living conditions and social surroundings) during ontogeny, and causes the mechanisms of evolution (phylogeny is recapitulated during the first phases of ontogeny)

Dzieje placówek ekologii człowieka w Polsce

Poland is the country where a first scientific institution under the name of Human Ecology (HE) had been established. It took place in 1960 in the National Research Institute of Mother and Child. In 1969 this institution was moved to the Institute of Ecology of the Polish Academy of Sciences under the name of Laboratory of Human Ecology then changed into the Department of Human Ecology. In the middle of the 60s, the Laboratory of Human Ecology and Paleopathology was created in the Department of Mediterranean Archaeology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In the 70s the Department of Hygiene and Human Ecology existed in the College of Physical Education in Katowice. HE is the main interest of the Department of Human Populational Ecology, Institute of Anthropology of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Since 1999 the Division of Human Ecology within the Department of Biology and Human Ecology exists in the Academy of Physical Education in Wrocław. In 2000 the Department of HC in the Institute of Ecology of the Polish Academy of Sciences was canceled and then in 2001, the Unit of EC in the Faculty of Christian Philosophy of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University was created. Within this Unit, two Chairs were formed: Human Biology and Cultural Anthropology. The first one contains three Departments: 1. Auxology and Gerontology; 2. Genetics of Human Population and Demography; 3. Public Health and Nutrition. The second Chair has two Departments: 1. Ethnology and Anthropogeography; 2. Urban and Space Planning

Stan biologiczny populacji ludzkich a przemiany środowiska społeczno-ekonomicznego

Adaptation of life to the environment occurs at two levels - that of an individual and that of a population. In the first step of the process of adaptation variability is produced. It provides necessary material for the second step - selection. Variability is generated during the phylogeny, from one generation to the next. However, variability can also be generated during individual ontogeny at least by protective mechanisms of instinctive behaviors of animals and conscious cultural human actions. Variability originates from point mutations and chromosomal aberrations occurring during transmission of genetic material from generation to generation and through activation, or deactivation, of genes that alters their expression. This variability determines phenotypic differences among individuals. Variability thus produced is subjected to selection because how a phenotype is formed determines its ability to survive and to produce offspring. In human populations, adaptation occurs via biological and via cultural processes. Humans with their culture - especially medicine and social care - protect lives of individuals who otherwise would have been eliminated by natural selection. Hereditary differences among various geographic groups of modern people occur with low frequency - just a fraction of a percentage point. From observations of phenotypes it can be concluded that both structural alterations in the DNA and differences in gene expression cause variations, the majority of genes are inactive at various stages of ontogeny, while various portions of the genotype become active at different times in the life of an individual. Environment influences variation in three ways: (1) by causing mutations or by altering gene expression and (2) by providing conditions for the formation of a phenotype coded by a particular genotype and (3) as a factor of selection, including occurrence of cultural behaviors modifying effects of natural selection.  It seems that the main aim of future research in human ecology should be search for the answer to following questions: 1. Can gene expression be changed during ontogeny? 2. To what extent such changes can be inherited? 3. To what extent is there an increase in the occurrence of genes that do not allow survival without special care (genetic load), and 4. How will all this influence future of our species?

Współzależność cech budowy ciała i dynamiki ich zmian w okresie pokwitania (raport 3 z dwuletnich comiesięcznych badań na Jukatanie w Meksyku)

In the present, the third publication included in this volume, the main topic considers the explanation of the existence of any relations between studied variables of body builds during the period of 22 months, e.g. from the beginning till the end of investigations. At that time the considerable changes related to the pubertal period took place. The results of the correlation matrix between studied variables and factor analysis for the whole material and for each gender separately are presented. It is seen that there are differences between boys and girls in the interrelation concerning studied variables and in separated latent factors. It is rather related to differences in the phase of puberty (more advanced girls than boys in this process), although the same calendar age. Girls who mature earlier are characterized by greater initial stature and greater body weight, BM I fat mass (including subcutaneous fat tissue), and fat-free mass at the beginning and end of the study than girls who mature later. However, later matured girls show, in the whole investigated period, greater increments in stature and weight than earlier matured ones (of the same calendar age). At the earlier stage of puberty (boys under study) the factor one (F I) representing body mass and its increments, is associated with final body height (at the end of study), whereas F3 is associated with initial height (at the beginning of the study). This association is reverse at the latter phase of puberty (girls under study), while F I (also representing body mass but not its increments) is associated with the initial height, whereas final height represents the separate factor (F3)

Każde dziecko i każda jego cecha ma swoiste tempo rozwoju, modyfikowane przez warunki życia w danym okresie. (Raport 2 z dwuletnich comiesięcznych badań na Jukatanie w Meksyku)

In the first report, the specific monthly rate of changes of body build measures, typical for a studied group of youths and /or seasonal changes according to climatic conditions were not observed (Siniarska et al., 2005). The preliminary results suggested that observed changes rather depend on an adjustment to conditions and mode of life than to changes in nature. In the present report changes in particularly studied individuals were analyzed to verify the previous hypothesis suggesting that the rate of development has an immediate (causal) sense. The problem of whether the pubertal spurt is a single developmental effort or series of changes with dominance of intensified increments was considered. To explain the phenomenon of difference in onset of the pubertal spurt and its intensity in various populations, monthly measurements were conducted in individuals being at the age of puberty. The results show that each individual and its variable show a different rate of changes. It suggests that the rate of development and changes in body mass and fat mass are occasional. It rather depends on living conditions, mostly on nutrition and mode of life (physical activity and leisure). The only regularity shows that rather short (1-3 months) periods of rapid growth (saltations) are divided by slower growth periods (stasis), but their duration and time of occurrence have a very individual character. The rate and rhythm of each body build variables are also different. These phenomena depend rather on condition s in which the development of each individual occurs, as well as on its genetic predispositions and eco-sensitivity. It is probable, that differences in onset and intensity of pubertal spurt depend on alternations between periods of saltations and stasis of growth processes and on changes in body mass. These studies need to be repeated during a longer period of time (at least within a 5-year period ), in different climatic conditions and social groups

Czy istnieje sezonowy rytm rozwoju w warunkach tropikalnych? (Raport 1 z dwuletnich comiesięcznych badań na Jukatanie w Meksyku)

The main aim of this work concerns the answer to the question of whether the general regularity of seasonal differences in changes of height, weight, and body components during ontogeny in tropics exists. If so, whether this phenomenon depends on cyclic changes in nature or this rather is an adjustment to local conditions and mode of life.  To answer this question the studies took place in the tropical climate of Yucatan and included 49 boys and 47 girls aged 11-12 years and being of Maya, Mestizo, and Creole origin. The youths were attending two schools that were located in rather poor districts of Merida (the capital city of the Yucatan State, Mexico). The investigations started in February 2002 and ended in November 2003 and were continued monthly. The standard anthropometric methodology was applied to measure body height, weight, arm, waist, hip, and calf circumferences, and five subcutaneous fat folds (biceps and triceps brachii, subscapular, suprailiac and calf). Bioimpedance techniques were used to estimate fat mass (FM ), fat-free mass (FFM ), and total body water (TBW). The results show that general regularities in monthly or longer rates of stature increments and increments or declines of body mass do not exist. There are not similar regularities of changes even in groups of coevals of the same gender and within the youths coming from the same district. Each variable shows a quite specific rate of change

Ecology of man at the turn of centuries

The author analyses the notion of man’s ecology in the modern science and he formulates his own view on the place and role of this science in the present times

The Stature of Offspring and the Assortative Mating of Parents

An investigation of 570 three-generation families shows that the stature of children varies with the mating type (heterogeneous versus homogeneous) of the parents in respect to marital radius, ABO and Rh blood groups, stature, cephalic index and morphological facial index