ooo:nt:sls in thz wbtte mouse 299 



of the cell" to perform its usual functions results in such con- 

 ditions as sjTiizesis and. in some forms, of synapsis. 



This would explain the occurrence of 5T."napsis in the second 

 proliferation of germ cells in the cat as described bv von Wini- 

 warter and Sainmont. In the third proliferation described by 

 them, it is to be inferred that synizesis and synapsis oc-cur. but 

 the disturbance in the 'play of forces' governing the nucleo- 

 cytoplasmic relationship is not great enough to bring about their 

 suppression: the cells after a "checking.' recover and go through 

 the maturation process. In the case of the somatic cells de- 

 scribed by Metz, it might be that the disturbance of this relation- 

 ship is not great enough to interfere markedly with ceU-devision. 

 In the mouse, the 'disturbance in the play of forc-es' may be 

 greater in the young embrj-onic) ovan.*. perhaps because of its 

 immature condition, and bring about the complete degeneration 

 of the ceUs. while in the adult or sexuaUy mature mouse this 

 may not be marked enough to manifest itself at all. 



The results of ^'odsadelek 16 1 on the spermatc^eneds of 

 the mule may be of interest here. He finds that the course of 

 spermatogenesis is apparently normal up to the beginning of 

 the growth period of the primarj' spermatocytes, at which time 

 the germ cells begin to degenerate. The author states that 

 there is no evidence of synizesis. but that there is a more or less- 

 marked attempt at synapsis or conjugation on the part of a 

 var\-ing number of chromosomes He says: 



CeUs of this nature, m which a great deal of fa?i<Mi had af^paienth- 

 taken place, invariably show more or less pronounced indications <^ 

 decay, and the question arises as to whether this ijnusual amount of 

 fusion is due to the condition of decay or whether the degeneration sets 

 in because of the unusual amount of fusion. It appears, however, that 

 the great amount of fusion is caused by the exisiing degenerate con- 

 dition of the cell in general, for invariably masses of chroma tin material 

 bearing no resemblance to nonnal chrc«nosomes or threads are present 

 in these ceUs. ( T6. p. 20). 



In these spermatocytes, the attempt at synapsis is apparently 

 an indication of the degenerate condition of the cells. The more 

 of the chromosomes which pair.' the more marked the degenera- 



