Dictyokinesis in Germ Cells. 



243 



and more facile staining of the resting stage is due. In the case of the 

 Weigert stain of medullated nerve fibres, the hsematoxylin forms a lake with 

 oxidized (K2Cr207 + Os04) lipoids in the sheath. We think that such may 

 explain the behaviour of the Golgi substance at cytokinesis. The lipoids 

 thus withdrawn from the Golgi elements might serve some purpose during 

 cell division. In this connection one remembers Boveri's view that the 

 archoplasm or centrosphere supplied the material for the formation of the 

 mitotic spindle. 



The Significance of Dictyokinesis. 

 It has been shown here that the process of dictyokinesis is generally 

 extremely haphazard, and in contrast with karyokinesis does not entail any 

 sort of fission of individual elements as occurs with the chromosomes, but 

 merely an unprecise sorting out of parts of the Golgi reticulum, between the 

 two daughter cells. 



It seems indicated that the Golgi apparatus is an integral and necessary 

 part of the cell constitution, but during cytokinesis or cell -division, there is to 

 be found in connection with the Golgi apparatus nothing comparable with the 

 exact division of the chromosomes. The distribution of the Golgi apparatus 

 between the daughter cells, as we have shown, takes place by a more or less 

 rough process of sorting out of individual pieces or spheres formed by 

 disintegration of the apparatus during the prophase of mitosis, and this 

 process entails no division of the individual elements or dictyosomes, as 

 occurs in the chromosomes of a somatic mitosis. 



All this seems to indicate that the Golgi apparatus takes a part less 

 precise and less important, in the hereditary processes of the cell, than that 

 fulfilled by the chromosomes. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATES. 

 Explanation of Lettering. 

 AR ... Archoplasm. M ... Mitochondria. 



CB ... Chromatoid body. W ... Vacuoles associated with the 



CH ... Chromosomes. Golgi apparatus and Archo- 



GA ... Golgi apparatus. plasm. 



Plate 1. 



Figs. 1 to 9 were drawn from preparations of the testis of the rat which had been fixed 

 by Da Fano's method and counterstained with carmine. 



Fig. 1. — Spermatogonium, showing the Golgi apparatus at GA in the compact form. 

 Fig. 2. — Late prophase of the primary spermatocyte division. The nuclear membrane 



has broken down, and the Golgi apparatus (GA) is dividing. 

 Fig. 3. — Primary spermatocyte division, showing the two parts of the Golgi apparatus 



(GA) moving apart. 



Fig. 4. — Metaphase in primary spermatocyte division. The chromosomes (CH) are 

 arranged equatorially and the Golgi rods are scattered in the cytoplasm. 

 The chromatoid body is shown at CB. 



