Studies in Spermatogenesis (Part 1 of 2)Stevens, N. M. (Nettie Maria)
Science
Studies in Spermatogenesis (Part 1 of 2)
Stevens, N. M. (Nettie Maria)
Sex; Spermatogenesis
Heidenhain's iron-haematoxylin, either alone or with orange G or
erythrosin, was used more than any other one stain. With osmic fixation
safranin gave better results in some cases, because of the abundance of
spindle fibers and sphere substance which were stained by haematoxylin.
The safranin-gentian combination used by Miss Wallace and others in the
study of the accessory chromosome did not prove to be especially helpful
with these forms. Thionin was found to be a very useful stain for
distinguishing between the accessory chromosome and an ordinary
nucleolus. Licht-gruen was often used in combination with safranin.
RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS.
Termopsis angusticollis.
In the termite it was not found to be practicable to dissect out the
testes. The tip of the abdomen was therefore fixed and sectioned, young
males whose wings were just apparent being used. The cells are all
small, and could not be studied to advantage with less than 1500
magnification (Zeiss oil immersion 2 mm., oc. 12).
In the spermatogonium there is a very large nucleolus (plate I, fig. 1),
which in the iron-haematoxylin preparations is very conspicuous, but does
not stain like chromatin with thionin or other anilin stains, nor does
it behave like an accessory chromosome during the maturation mitoses.
Before each spermatogonial division it divides as in figures 2 and 3,
and the same is true for each maturation mitosis. Figure 4 shows the 52
chromosomes of a spermatogonial division in metaphase. Figures 5 and 6
are young spermatocytes, showing the division of the nucleolus. Figures
8, 9, and 10 show a stage immediately following that shown in figure 6
and evidently persisting for some time. The spireme thread is very fine,
stains deeply, and is wound into a dense ball, often concealing one
(fig. 10) or both nucleoli (fig. 8). Figure 11 shows the next stage; the
bivalent chromosomes are so disposed as to give the familiar "bouquet
stage," with the loops directed away from the centrosome and sphere
(_c_). Figures 12, 13, and 14 show the later development of the same
stage, the chromatin loops becoming thicker by the concentration of the
smaller granules to form the larger ones seen in figure 14. The loops
now straighten out and extend in various directions across the nuclear
space (figs. 15, 16, 17). In fig. 18_a_ a longitudinal split is seen in
several chromosomes. Figures 18_b_, 19, 20, and 21 show various stages
in the contraction of these split bivalent chromosomes to form
diamond-shaped tetrads, each side of which is a univalent daughter
chromosome. The tetrads come into the spindle in this form (figs. 22,
23), and change to the form shown in figure 24 during the metaphase
(figs. 22, 26, 28). Figures 25 and 27 show the 26 bivalent chromosomes,
or tetrads, in early and late metaphase, respectively, and figures 29,
30, and 31 in anaphase. This is certainly a reduction division, for the
tetrads are always somewhat elongated and come into the spindle with
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