Postradiation recovery and radioresistance of seeds

Problems on radiobiology of seeds were studied. Irradiation was shown to induce primary injuries in chromosomes sensitive to various modifying factors. Primary injuries can eliminate and form stable physico-chemical injuries as a result of physico-chemical reactions and under concomitant factors. These injuries can be reversible and nonreversible character. Reversible injuries turned out to be potential for they can be repaired at biochemical level. The cells of strong ability to repair postirradiation injuries under various equal conditions reveal a relatively high level of radioresistance. The mechanisms were shown to be basical in the observed differences of radiosensitivity of large and small seeds. 7 refs.; 3 figs