Relative degree of endopolyploidization of silk-gland cells in diploid and triploid silkworms.

Abstract

Photometric measurements showed that DNA content of the cells in the posterior portion of the silk gland to be higher in triploid caterpillars than in diploids. The somatic polyploidy level of posterior silk gland cells therefore increases as the number of cells in the organ decreases with rising overall organism ploidy.