Abstract
Summary and Conclusion
1. The alkaline and acid phosphatase activity was determined on whole homogenates of embryonic chick retina from the 12 th day of incubation until 3 days after hatching.
2. The alkaline phosphatase activity increases slowly up to 16 days and then more rapidly to 19 days, when it reaches a maximum. After the 20th day it begins to decrease until 3 days after hatching, at which time it establishes a level of activity which is apparently constant throughout the life of the chicken.
3. The acid phosphatase activity is considerably higher than the alkaline at 12 days, but shows only a slight increase up to 19 days, after which it also falls to a new level.
4. Since the rise in activity of both acid and alkaline phosphatase correspond closely to the period of cellular maturation in the chick retina, this seems to give added support to the concept that these enzymes may be associated with the histochemistry of differentiation.
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