Superdispersion of radiation-induced extra-acentric fragments in human lymphocytes

The author assumes an influence of pairs of acentric fragments (caused by doubly incomplete reciprocal translocations or by incomplete interstitial deletions) on the statistical distribution of the acentric fragments. The pairs of fragments must cause superdispersion of the acentric fragments. If the single fragments are mainly resulting from first-order deletions, the superdispersion will increase with the dose as the yield of fragment pairs increases non-linearly with the dose. A full analysis of the single acentric fragments was impossible within the scope of the paper. The author assumes that this group consists mainly of incomplete interstitial deletions (with 1 fragment) and incomplete paracentric inversions, both of which have a negligibly small interstitial chromosome fragment, and that first- and second-order terminal deletions do not exist. (orig./AJ)