A comparative study on the incidence of Barr Bodies in mammalian blood and some factors influencing it

Abstract

Early beliefs that Barr Bodies (sex chromatin; drumsticks) were due merely to the XX Chromosomes in the female mere challenged as far back as 1956. That they only appear in a percentage of neutrophils, polymorphs and other somatic cells mas a starting point and that they are more frequent when nuclear segmentation is increased either by ageing or folate deficiency suggested that the explanation originally held required closer investigation. A great deal of research has been undertaken to establish the factors involved. Some account of these are listed and recorded in this thesis. The comparative incidence of Barr Bodies in mammalian blood appears to have little coverage and go round an aspect worthy of investigation. Apart from humans the range of available mammals was limited largely to domestic animals; although an attempt was made (with small success) to obtain material from more exotic mammals. The range of the different groups (13 in all) is set out in the tables which includes mainly normal mammals with a small section on the megaloblastic anaemias as a readily available source of hypersegmentation associated with folate deficiency. The main difficulties encountered mere the limited time available; the difficulty in obtaining material in sufficient quantity to have numerical significance; the nature of this work which is very labour intensive in that it cannot successfully be automated in any of the aspects. Within the frame work of this thesis, there is scope for a very great deal of development which the writer intends to undertake on his required return home.