Radiation Studies in Lens culinaris Meiosis: abnormalities induced due to gamma radiation and its consequences

In M1, the PMC showed abnormalities, which appeared to have increased with dose, and they persisted through out the development of the shoot.In M2 the PMC with aberrations were far fewer than in M1, but their presence in M2 shows that they have been perpetuated through the male and female gametes of M1 generation.The types of aberrations recorded were translocations, bridges, micronuclei, pairing difficulties and pollen abnormalities.The low fertility following high doses in M1 plants, may be attributed to the phenomenon of chromosomal aberrations and change in the nature of the gene, thereby, creating pairing difficulties.The persistence of abnormalities in M2 generation indicates, that they may either take considerable time to be eliminated or they might have become a permanent feature of the plants.