Evidence for endoreduplication: Germ cell DNA levels prior to chromatin diminution in Mesocyclops edax

We studied the functional significance of marked differences in the DNA con tent of somatic cells and germ line nuclei by static Feulgen-DNA cytophotom etry for several species of microcrustaceans that exhibit chromatin diminut ion during very early stages of embryogenesis. Mature females and males sho wed many gonadal nuclei with elevated amounts of DNA that persist until dis persal of this "extra" DNA throughout the cytoplasm as fragments and coales cing droplets of chromatin during anaphase of the diminution division.