Effects of Cadmium on Root Growth, Cell Division and Nucleoli in Root Tip Cells of Garlic

Abstract

The effects of different concentrations (10-7 to 10-2 M) of cadmium chloride on root growth, cell division and nucleoli in root tip cells of Allium sativum L. were investigated. At lower concentrations of Cd2+ (10-7 to 10-6 M), Cd2+ did not influence the root growth, even had a stimulation effects during a short treatment. The results showed that the rate of root growth per day at the treatment groups (10-4 to 10-2 M Cd2+) decreased with increasing duration of the treatment and increasing Cd2+ concentration. Cd2+ induced c-mitosis, anaphase bridges, chromosome stickiness and on nucleoli, causing some particles of similar silver-stained material scattered in the nuclei and making the silver staining reaction at the periphery of the nucleolus weaker.