INFLUENCE OF CHROMOSOME SIZE ON THE RADIOSENSITIVITY OF LINUM SPECIES

Abstract

Several factors have been shown to influence the radiosensitivity of plants. Gustafsson (1944) reported that the seeds of oleiferous plants were highly resistant to X-rays, and considered that the resistance was due to some physiological properties inside the cell and the nucleus, and suggested that the resistance was associated with the fat content. Sparrow and Evans (1961), and Evans and Sparrow (1961) have discussed the nuclear factors affecting radio-sensitivity, and Konzak et al. (1961) have reviewed the physiological and morphological factors involved in the response of plants to radiation.Gustafsson (1944) studied the radiosensitivity of cultivated flax over a period of two years by X-irradiating the seeds with doses ranging from 5 kR to 45 kR. But the variation between his results of two years is so very great that it seemed desirable to undertake fresh studies with a wider range of radiation dosage. In addition to the cultivated flax, Linum usitatissimum, 10 other species of the genus Linum were included in these studies.