164 Harry Lewis Wieman, 



of amitotic divisions in the nurse cells would result in the cyto- 

 plasm being deprived of the proper amount of oxidative ferments, 

 and owing to the diminished rate of oxidation in the cytoplasm 

 there would be an accumulation of unoxidized substances. The 

 evidence derived from staining reactions justifies such a predic- 

 tion. 



At about the time of the fragmentation of the large poly- 

 nucleated masses, a change occurs in the staining properties of 

 the cell constituents toward aniline dyes. Up to this point the 

 nucleus takes the basic dye while the cytoplasm takes the acid; 

 but now a complete reversal is to be noted, the nuclei staining a 

 deep green, while the cytoplasm, filled with the granules of the 

 food stream, stains deeply with the red (Fig. 24). 



The change is not an abrupt one, but begins gradually, shortly 

 after the cessation of the amitotic divisions of the nuclei when the 

 latter pass into a kind of resting state. Just before the change, one 

 or more large basic-staining granules about the size oi a nucleolus 

 appear in the cytoplasm either closely applied to the nuclear mem- 

 brane or at various distances from it (Figs. 14, 24, gr.) In younger 

 stages these granules are found inside of the nucleus. As condi- 

 tions between the intra- and extra-nuclear position of these bodies 

 are not wanting, it seems clear that they arise in the nucleus. 

 Whether or not these granules represent part of the chromatin 

 contents of the nucleus that is being cast out into the cytoplasm 

 as a result of degeneration or intense secretory activity, is a matter 

 of speculation. It is certain that the chromosomes never appear 

 subsequently. On reaching the cytoplasm the granule either 

 breaks up into smaller particles or dissolves gradually without 

 first disintegrating. 



The smaller basic-staining granules of the food stream are found 

 at the nodal points of a reticular network (Fig. 24, etc.). The 

 latter is possibly an artifact, but the granules are probably pres- 

 ent as such in the living egg, being comparable to the zymogen 

 granules of the pancreas. 



Thus, as far as the staining reactions are concerned, the nucleus 

 and cytoplasm have exchanged places, and this peculiar inversion 

 of the natural order of things seems to be the result or accompani- 



