Effect of Oxygen on the Frequency of Chromosome Aberrations Produced by X-Rays

MOTTRAM¹ demonstrated that the effect of gamma- and X-radiations in inhibiting the growth of Vicia faba root tips was materially reduced if the exposure was made under anaerobic conditions, and that the change in radiosensitivity could not be correlated with a change in the proportion of cells in division at the time of irradiation. Crabtree and Cramer² had previously shown a similar effect of anaerobiosis on the radiosensitivity of tumour cells.