Abstract
The mitotic cycle in the egg cell and physico-chemical state of chromatin in the egg cell and central cell of the tobacco embryo sac were studied. It was revealed that during egg cell formation a change in the mitotic cycle kinetics takes place, it consists in prolongation of the S-period as compared with that of somatic cells and G1 - period as compared with that of male gametes. Egg cell and central cell nuclei differ in chromatin structure. Condensed chromatin dominates in the egg cell nucleus, diffuse chromatin in the central cell nucleus, but both show only weak metabolic activity.