Cr
[STI\II/\ TION OF
CONSUMPTION
(ANIMALS
LABELLED
fOOD)
General Principles
105
14C-LABELLED FOOD
ADAPTED ANIMALS ADAPTATION I
I
READY FOR
1-.--.--- CONSI'J\1rR~
EXPERIMENT
.
.
LSTIMATION OFI-----INONLABELI.ED fOOD
ASSIMII./\ TION
(ANIMALS
NONLABEI.I.FD
fOOD)
Fig. 3.1. Schematic presentation of procedures for estimating animal nutrition using
radiocarbon techniques
tivity of 14C thus ingested is assayed (Re). The absolute amount of ingested
food (C) can then be calculated as C = Re Cr mgCsp.-I, where C is the food
ration, Re the radioactivity of consumers' bodies, cpmsp.-l, C the inverse
specific radioactivity of food material, mg C cpm-I, and sp. is one specimen
(individual) of the animal consumers. To be valid, this equation to calculate
the ingested food does not need equal labeling in all parts of the food
organism; equal labeling becomes obligatory only when the absolute values of
[STI\II/\ TION OF
CONSUMPTION
(ANIMALS
LABELLED
fOOD)
General Principles
105
14C-LABELLED FOOD
ADAPTED ANIMALS ADAPTATION I
I
READY FOR
1-.--.--- CONSI'J\1rR~
EXPERIMENT
.
.
LSTIMATION OFI-----INONLABELI.ED fOOD
ASSIMII./\ TION
(ANIMALS
NONLABEI.I.FD
fOOD)
Fig. 3.1. Schematic presentation of procedures for estimating animal nutrition using
radiocarbon techniques
tivity of 14C thus ingested is assayed (Re). The absolute amount of ingested
food (C) can then be calculated as C = Re Cr mgCsp.-I, where C is the food
ration, Re the radioactivity of consumers' bodies, cpmsp.-l, C the inverse
specific radioactivity of food material, mg C cpm-I, and sp. is one specimen
(individual) of the animal consumers. To be valid, this equation to calculate
the ingested food does not need equal labeling in all parts of the food
organism; equal labeling becomes obligatory only when the absolute values of