Biopolymers and cell. 1992; 8 (2): 3 - 36

KORDYUM V. A.

The Problem of Survival: From Transitory Stay in Extreme Situation to Constant Inhabiting in Extreme Conditions

Summary

    At last decades in Ukraine (and some other regions) particular situation has taken place that mankind had never encountered before in such proportions. For this situation the transition is characteristic from episodic stay of large groups of people in extreme parameters to constant inhabiting in extreme conditions. Such inhabiting can be called the extreme life (to be more precise — constant life in lasting extreme condi¬tions). The extreme life is provoked by proper ecological conditions and mode of people's life. But most important events (those that determine the biological peculiarities of extreme life continuance and consiquences) are realized as certain moleeclar events in organism. These events are defined by system of protection from external and internal damaging factors and systems of recovery for those damages that for certain reasons could not been prevented. The analysis of molecular events in organism in the course of extreme life shows that in such situation the processes of progressive ageing take place. Such processes can also accelerate themselves with growing speeds. All current phenomenology can be explained from the standpoint of extreme life and progressive-ageing of population. Using such analysis one can also prognosticate the growing sick-liness of population and the deterioration in demographic situation.