EMBRYO AND ENDOSPERM RESPONSE TO AGEING IN TRITICUM DURUM SEEDS AS REVEALED BY CHROMOSOMAL DAMAGE IN ROOT MERISTEM

A cytological analysis was carried out on root tips of seedlings raised from intact aged seeds (1963 crop), intact young seeds (1966 crop)_ and from both aged and young embryos transplanted onto either aged or young endosperms. The collected data indicate that the incidence of chromosomal aberrations detectable in an aged embryo is independent of its transplantation onto either aged or young endosperms. This implies that young endosperms do not induce any recovery from chromosomal damage in aged seeds. However, the possibility is not excluded that products responsible for chromosome aberrations might be formed in the endosperm and transferred to the embryo under some experimental conditions. © 1969.