Radiation-Induced Chromosome Aberrations and Loss of Reproductive Integrity in Tradescantia

Abstract

The reproductive integrity of single meristematic cells of Tradescantia occidentalis exposed to acute doses of X-rays was in-vestigated. The dose-response curve was sigmoid and similar to that reported for a variety of mammalian cell lines having a Do of 149 r and an extrapolation number of 1.6. Detailed observations were also made of all forms of chromatid and chromosome aberration induced after irradiation of all stages of the mitotic cycle of these same meristematic cells. Attempts were then made to correlate these 2 sets of data and to equate loss of genetic information to loss of reproductive integrity.