Abstract
C-bands are observed in the centromeric regions of only three pairs of autosomes and the distal portion of the small acrocentric Y in a total complement of 44 chromosomes of a male Presbytis e. entellus. Simultaneously treated slides of a Rhesus monkey, however, have C-bands in all the 42 chromosomes. The lack of C-bands may be due to (1) absence of highly repetitive DNA in the centromeric region of certain chromosomes or (2) presence of minute quantity of such DNA which is imperceptible or (3) different types of centromeric heterochromatin with a varying degree of repetition of DNA sequences all of which do not react in similar manner to various techniques employed at present. It is hypothesized that the centromeric heterochromatin rich in satellite DNA helps in withstanding the force of excessive coiling of chromosomes at the centromere to facilitate the functioning of the genes for microtubular protein during cell division when other genes are rendered inactive due to compactness of chromosomes.
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