Abstract
Summary
The effect of folic acid, aminopterin and vitamin K substitute dissolved or suspended at given concentrations in water, on the growth and development of roots from bulbs of Allium cepa was investigated. Folic acid at concentrations of 10-5, 10-7 and 10-9 g/ml, aminopterin at concentrations of 10-7, 10-9 and 10-10 g/ml and vitamin K substitute at concentrations of 10-4, 10-5 and 10-7 g/ml inhibited the linear growth of roots of Allium cepa. The percent of mitosis in the treated roots was in general lower than that of the controls. No abnormalities of the mitotic figures in the treated root tips were observed. The inhibition of growth by these agents may be due partially to an interference with the process of cellular elongation and differentiation following karyokinesis and partially by reducing the rate of nuclear division.
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