Cell Development During Early Embryogenesis in Capsella and Gossypium

Abstract

The early stages of embryo development in Gossypium hirsutum (cotton) and Capsella bursapastoris were examined with regard to patterns of cell development, embryo and cell size, and distribution of cell divisions. A striking reduction in the total size of the cotton embryo was observed following the first division of the embryo. This decrease in total embryo size continued for several more divisions, and it was not until the embryo contained approximately 75 cells that its total size was larger than the zygote. Distinctive patterns of cell divisions were found in both embryos and indicate that changes in groups of cells undergoing mitosis are of fundamental importance in understanding the development of form in the embryo. A greater degree of variation in development of cell lineages than is generally reported was observed in both embryos.