406 GEORGE T. HARGITT 
of chromatin matter which has already passed from the nucleus 
into the cytoplasm during growth, there is stillasuper-abundance 
at the end of the cycle and only a portion is handed on to the next 
generation of cells. In figure 19, in which the chromosomes of 
the spindle are dividing, this extra chromatin is seen in the cyto- 
plasm of the region as dark granules. These granules are the 
same as the granules which are found when the membrane first 
breaks as shown in figure 18. The very fact that there is a super- 
fluity of chromatin after the considerable emission of chromatin 
during the growth period, is an indication that there has been 
new chromatin formed. For all the chromatin the egg had to start 
with came from the entoderm cell which was its progenitor, and 
this was approximately the same amount as is needed for the for- 
mation of the chromosomes. To have the amount necessary to 
go through two divisions (in the formation of the polar bodies) 
with a superfluity of apparently double this quantity, and, in 
addition, the extrusion of a large amount during the whole of the 
growth period, there must have been the formation of an enormous 
quantity of new chromatin during the growth period. This 
synthesis of chromatin I judge to be one of the functions of the 
nucleolus. 
The objection has been raised and will doubtless again be offered 
that the chromosomes present in the first maturation spindle 
(fig. 19), which correspond closely in amount to the chromatin 
received by the primordial germ cell from its entodermal progeni- 
tor, do precisely represent these chromosomes. The aim of the 
objection is to force the conclusion that there has been a direct 
continuity of the chromosomes of the cell giving rise to the germ 
cell, and the chromosomes of the mature egg cell. This claim 
would thereby ascribe to the chromatin emissions no significance 
as far as relation to the chromosomes is concerned, and the chro- 
matin left over after the chromosomes had formed would be more 
or less foreign or extraneous matter, or chromatin-like substance, 
of a different origin and fate but predestined to have no part in 
chromosome formation. 
This does not appear to be a fair position to take, for with the 
foregoing insisted on as a premise, the significance of the loss of 
