Abstract
1. In spite of the many and varied reports on spontaneous mutations the factors responsible for their widespread occurrence in nature have not so far been clearly understood. Investigations carried out in the present study showed that decaying organic substances like compost, cowdung and oil cakes when present in high concentrations in the soil are capable of inducing mutations of different magnitudes. Chromosome changes induced by these substances and their possible role in the production of mutations in nature are discussed in this paper.2. High concentrations of compost, cowdung and oil cake in sand exert a distinctly harmful effect as regards germination and growth. Very high concentrations of bassia oil cake (1 oil cake: 5 sand) inhibited germination. Though germination was observed in fresh cowdung the plants did not survive. No such inhibition in germination was observed in compost unmixed with sand. Lower concentrations of these substances have been found to be beneficial.3. Cytological changes induced by compost, cowdung and oil cakes were almost similar. Breakage of chromosomes followed by reunion resutling in repatterning of chromosomes (translocation and inversion), chromosome doubling leading to polyploidy and spindle abnormalities resulting in the formation of aneuploid cells were commonly observed. Chromosome clumping, cytomixis, asynapsis, erosion of chromosomes etc. were some of the other abnormalities observed.4. Quantitative analysis of the data showing the frequencies of the different abnormalities in the different treatments showed that the frequency of abnormalities increases with an increase in the concentration of the substances in the sand.5. There is a gradual decrease in the percentage of aberrations with longer duration in compost, this relation being found in the pollen mother cells also. It is suggested that this decrease may possibly be due to the gradual fall in the content of nitrogen or other substances in compost causing these aberrations.6. Cytological changes induced by a few fertilizers like ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate and potassium chloride were studied with a view to comparing their effects with those of the organic manures used for the study. Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes. The results of the studies appear to show that nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can act as mutagenic factors in compost. The differences exhibited by compost, bassia oil cake and cowdung might probably be due to the variation in the relative concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium present in them.7. There is striking similarity between the aberrations induced by decaying organic substances like compost, cowdung and oil cakes and those reported as occurring spontaneously. It is suggested that decaying organic matter which is present in plant environment under natural conditions in varying concentrations, and those added as manures in agricultural practices, are responsible for some at least of such spontaneous mutations which play an important part in the evolution of species.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Decaying organic substances such as compost, cowdung and oil cakes at high soil concentrations induce mutations.
- Taxon
- onion
Allium cepae2 - Treatment
- compost, cowdung and oil cakese1
- Outcome
- mutationse1
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“decaying organic substances like compost, cowdung and oil cakes when present in high concentrations in the soil are capable of inducing mutations of different magnitudes”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
High concentrations of compost, cowdung and oil cake in sand have a distinctly harmful effect on germination and growth.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- High concentrations of compost, cowdung and oil cake in sande1
- Outcome
- germination and growthe1
- Direction
- harmfule1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“High concentrations of compost, cowdung and oil cake in sand exert a distinctly harmful effect as regards germination and growth”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost, cowdung and oil cakes induce breakage of chromosomes followed by reunion, repatterning chromosomes (translocation and inversion).
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- compost, cowdung and oil cakese1
- Outcome
- Breakage of chromosomese1
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cytological changes induced by compost, cowdung and oil cakes were almost similar. Breakage of chromosomes followed by reunion resutling in repatterning of chromosomes (translocation and inversion), chromosome doubling leading to polyploidy and spindle abnormalities resulting in the formation of aneuploid cells were commonly observed”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost, cowdung and oil cakes induce chromosome doubling leading to polyploidy and spindle abnormalities.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- compost, cowdung and oil cakese1
- Outcome
- chromosome doubling leading to polyploidye1
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cytological changes induced by compost, cowdung and oil cakes were almost similar. Breakage of chromosomes followed by reunion resutling in repatterning of chromosomes (translocation and inversion), chromosome doubling leading to polyploidy and spindle abnormalities resulting in the formation of aneuploid cells were commonly observed”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost, cowdung and oil cakes induce spindle abnormalities resulting in the formation of aneuploid cells.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- compost, cowdung and oil cakese1
- Outcome
- spindle abnormalities resulting in the formation of aneuploid cellse1
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cytological changes induced by compost, cowdung and oil cakes were almost similar. Breakage of chromosomes followed by reunion resutling in repatterning of chromosomes (translocation and inversion), chromosome doubling leading to polyploidy and spindle abnormalities resulting in the formation of aneuploid cells were commonly observed”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
The frequency of abnormalities increases with the concentration of the substances in sand.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- concentration of the substances in the sande1
- Outcome
- frequency of abnormalitiese1
- Direction
- increasese1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“the frequency of abnormalities increases with an increase in the concentration of the substances in the sand”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
The percentage of aberrations in compost decreases gradually with longer duration, in pollen mother cells as well.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Organ / stage
- pollen mother cellse1
- Treatment
- longer duration in composte1
- Outcome
- percentage of aberrationse1
- Direction
- decreasee1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“There is a gradual decrease in the percentage of aberrations with longer duration in compost, this relation being found in the pollen mother cells also”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
Ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate and potassium chloride induced cell division abnormalities in onion root tips almost similar to those induced by organic manures.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae1
- Treatment
- ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate and potassium chloridee1
- Outcome
- Abnormalities in cell divisione1
- Direction
- almost similare1
- Comparator
- organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cytological changes induced by a few fertilizers like ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate and potassium chloride were studied with a view to comparing their effects with those of the organic manures used for the study. Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium may act as mutagenic factors in compost.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Compound
- nitrogen, phosphorus and potassiume1
- Outcome
- mutagenic factorse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The results of the studies appear to show that nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can act as mutagenic factors in compost”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
Differences among compost, bassia oil cake and cowdung might be due to relative concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Compound
- nitrogen, phosphorus and potassiume1
- Outcome
- differences exhibited by compost, bassia oil cake and cowdunge1
- Qualifier
- relative concentrationse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The differences exhibited by compost, bassia oil cake and cowdung might probably be due to the variation in the relative concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium present in them”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
The aberrations induced by decaying organic substances show striking similarity to those reported as occurring spontaneously.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- decaying organic substancese1
- Outcome
- aberrationse1
- Comparator
- those reported as occurring spontaneouslye1
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“There is striking similarity between the aberrations induced by decaying organic substances like compost, cowdung and oil cakes and those reported as occurring spontaneously”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
Claim · model-written summary
Decaying organic matter in the plant environment might be responsible for some spontaneous mutations.
- Taxon
- onionAllium cepae2
- Treatment
- decaying organic mattere1
- Outcome
- spontaneous mutationse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“It is suggested that decaying organic matter which is present in plant environment under natural conditions in varying concentrations, and those added as manures in agricultural practices, are responsible for some at least of such spontaneous mutations which play an important part in the evolution of species”
e2“Abnormalities in cell division induced in the root tip cells of onion following treatment with these chemical fertilizers were almost similar to these observed in treatments with organic manures like compost, cowdung and oil cakes”
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