Contents Introduction What is Stress? Environmental Stressors Stress Effects Disturbing Cellular Homeostasis Stress Defense Systems and Their Response to Stress Scope and Purpose of this Book Basal signal transduction systems involved in stress response Introduction Two Major Second Messenger Systems: cAMP and Ca 2+ The MAPK Cascade The stress-protein system Introduction Types, Structures, and Functions of Stress Proteins Gene Expression, Posttranscriptional, and Translational Regulation of Stress Proteins The oxidative stress response system Introduction Cellular Response to Reactive Oxygen Species The Metallothionein System Introduction Properties and Types of Metallothionein Regulation of Metallothionein Heavy Metal Stress The mixed-function oxygenase system Introduction Description of the Mixed-Function Oxygenase System The Mixed-Function Oxygenase System in Insects Degradation of Xenobiotics in Insects The role of cellular response systems in developing tolerance to environmental stress Introduction Thermotolerance in Insect Species The Effects of Environmental Stress on Aging and Cell Death Introduction Effects of Environmental Stress on Aging Cell Death by Environmental Stress The integrated cellular stress defense system Introduction Specific Characteristics of the Individual Systems Important Stress Effects Cooperation and Integration of Systems The Central Hypothesis Summary Abbreviations Referencesion of Metallothionein Heavy Metal Stress The mixed-function oxygenase system Introduction Description of the Mixed-Function Oxygenase System The Mixed-Function Oxygenase System in Insects Degradation of Xenobiotics in Insects The role of cellular response systems in developing tolerance to environmental stress Introduction Thermotolerance in Insect Species The Effects of Environmental Stress on Aging and Cell Death Introduction Effects of Environmental Stress on Aging Cell Death by Environmental Stress The integrated cellular stress defense system Introduction Specific Characteristics of the Individual Systems Important Stress Effects Cooperation and Integration of Systems The Central Hypothesis Summary Abbreviations References.