Structure of Salivary Gland Chromosomes

Abstract

Kodani, Calvin and Goldschmidt¹ and Kodani² published a series of papers in which they describe the action of various sodium hydroxide and urea solutions on salivary gland chromosomes. The first steps on the reaction are the breaking up of bands into discrete granules, followed by condensation of carmine-stainable and Feulgen-positive substances into four longitudinal strings in each pair of homologous salivary gland chromosomes. After that there appear at right angles around these longitudinal strings stainable hairs resembling lamp-brush chromosomes. The fact that condensation of stainable granules results in two longitudinal strings for each chromosome is used among others as evidence showing that these two strings have a primary existence in the normal untreated salivary gland chromosome.