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The Problem of Genetic Identity of Different Cell Types

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Nucleic Acid Hybridization in the Study of Cell Differentiation

Part of the book series: Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation ((RESULTS,volume 3))

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Abstract

An old dogma in biology states that all cells of a higher organism containidentical sets of genetic information in their nuclei. This classical concept is based on the fact that the cells of an organism are descendants of a single zygote and that the process of mitosis leads to equal assignment of the chromosomes and their genes to the daughter cells. Also direct measurements of the DNA content of various somatic cell types of an organism show equal amounts of DNA (Vendrely, 1955). The only exceptions are provided by polyploid and polytene cells. It is generally believed, however, that these exceptional cases of increased DNA content per cell result from replications of the entire genome; such cells therefore would merely differ in a quantitative way from normal diploid somatic cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Heinz Tobler

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  1. Heinz Tobler
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zürich, Switzerland

    H. Ursprung

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© 1972 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Tobler, H. (1972). The Problem of Genetic Identity of Different Cell Types. In: Ursprung, H. (eds) Nucleic Acid Hybridization in the Study of Cell Differentiation. Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-37149-6_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-37149-6_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-22245-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-37149-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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