SANGHAMITRA NAYAKI, HEMANTA KUMAR PATRA AND SIBA PRASAD RATH
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to study the toxicity effects of chromium(III) ions on seed germination, alterations of biochemical variables, mitotic cell cycle and chromosomes in germinated lentil (Lens culinaris Medic. cv.L-4076) seeds. Germination rate of lentil seeds was decreased gradually with the increase in Cr(III) concentrations. Germination was found to be inhibited with increasing supply of Cr(III) concentrations (except at 0.001mM), leading to complete inhibition at 30.0m1v1 chromium supply. The increasing supply of Cr(III) ions also induced various biochemical lesions. During cytological investigation, the mitotic index(MI) gradually decreased with the increase in chromium concentrations which induced genetic damage causing mitotoxic and chromotoxic effects in the treated materials.