CYTOCHROME OXIDASE IN ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR BLASTOMERES OF CIONA INTESTINALIS

Abstract

Anterior and posterior blastomers were separated in the four-cell stage of Ciona intestinalis and cytochrome oxidase activities of homo-genates of the blastomeres were quantitatively determined by a microspectrophotometric method. The average cytochrome oxidase activity of homogenates of posterior blastomers is 2.7 times that of anterior blastomeres. The results indicate a localization of mitochondria in the posterior blastomeres.