The Effects of Cadmium Chloride and Mercury Chloride on the Polytene Chromosomes of Third Instar Larvae of Drosophila melanogaster

Authors: Handan UYSAL, Zafer BAHÇECİ

Abstract: In this study, the effects of cadmium chloride and mercury chloride on the third instar Iarvae salivary gland polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster have been investigated. The third instar Iarvae have been fed on medium containing cadmium chloride and mercury chloride. In the polytene chromosome slides prepared from this Iarvae, various chromosomal aberrations such as loss on the tips and/or some sections of chromosomal arms, inversion, asinapsis, hairpin, break or semibreak and attenuation between bands have been observed. The possible mechanisms of the chromosomal aberrations caused by these heavy metals have been discussed.

Keywords: D. melanogaster, salivary gland, polytene chromosome, chromosomal aberration, cadmium chloride, mercury chloride, heavy metal