The calcium and magnesium content of mammalian cell nuclei

✍ Scribed by Williamson, Martin B. ;Gulick, Addison

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1944
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 388 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0095-9898
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.1030230207

✦ Synopsis

The quantitative determination of the minerals of the ash from cell nuclei has long been neglected, due largely to the practical difficulties in obtaining sufficient material for this type of analysis. Of the various reports found in the literature, only the early studies by Miescher (1897) include definite data. He found that about 0.32% of his dried nuclear preparation was calcium in a water soluble form. However, he estimated that most of the remaining nuclear ash consisted of insoluble calcium salts. This brought the total calcium content to approximately 0.7%.

The next important work on the nuclear ash was contributed by Policard and his co-workers ( '23, '28). He developed a "microincineration" method of studying the histochemistry of tissues. With the aid of this procedure he found that the largest proportion of cellular ash was in the nucleus, and, from the character of the ash, judged that it was composed principally of CaO and possibly MgO.

This method of approach was continued and further developed by Scott ( '32, '33, '35, '40). He too found the bulk of the ash of the nucleus to be calcium. Of particular interest is Scott's report ('35