Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-01
Lost Of Seven Articles

4
differences of opinion, from
complete catastrophe to insight
icant damage from any radiation
increase. A major need, they
point out. is to get more facts.
Acc Is Pushing Research.
That the commission is not
lnconcerned, they say. is shown
clearly from the fac. that it now
is supporting at least half the
genetics research In the country.
It ALSO is making determine
tons of the actual radiation in
crease which. the latest calcula-
tior1s indicate, throughout the
lifetime of the average individual
is only about a 30Oth Of what
would be received anyway. Adj
mittedly in the event of an
atomic war the situation might
become quite different. The
amount varies quite consider
ably from place to place.
Still. according to DR.. Earle
Green, who is directing genetics
research, the problem is lone OF
the most important facing the
country today"
Among geneticists, DR.. Green
stresses. there is spectrum of
opinion" ranging from the
prophets of catastrophe to those
who see nothing to worry about.
AS the case stands no positive
answer can be given to any, al
though the commissions biolo-
gists feel that some predictions
of disaster have. gone altogether
too far.
Mice In Experiments.
They themselves are working
with mice, probably the closest
animals to man which can be
used in large numbers and about
whose hereditary constitution
something. although admittedly
not very much. is known. The
mouse is fast breeder, al
though not comparable to a fruit
fly. Also it can stand somewhat
more radiation than man.
The most far-reaching expert
ment under Atomic Energy COM
mission auspices at present is
being conducted at Oak Ridge.
Tenn, by Dr., w. r. Russell. He
is using several hundred thou
sand mice of a strain which has
been bred in laboratories for
many generations.
In these mice the location and
effects Of seven genes are known.
All are relatively unimportant
so far as the welfare of the
species is concerned. All but one
effect slight changes in fur color.
The sex glands Of all the males
are irradiated very heavily.
with 300. 500 and 1000 roent-
gems. Then they are mated with
non-irradiated females whose
coat color gene constitution is
known.
Results Of Experiments.
The results to date are that
on the average there is one gene
mutation, among the known
seven genes, of once in a hun
dred million times per gene per
roentgen, of radiation. Nobody
knows the number of genes in q
mouse. It is at least 5000
probably several times 5000.
The number is not believed to be ]
as great as in man.
Some genes among the seven
are more likely, the experiments
show. to nutate than Others
Some Of those INDICATED and
unknown may mutate much
more. or much less, frequently
Another experiment, started |
so recently that no results have |
yet been obtained. is being con- |
Quoted by DR.. w. Frank Blair
OF the University Of Texas. Dr..
Blair has a 10-acre farm near
Austin. It is infested by con- |
siderable numbers Of "deer |
MICE" curious. human-acting |
little animals who collect ali |
sorts Of things In their nests
Around the farm DR.. Blair has
placed nesting boxes. The pack |
mice tend to take these over.
rather than build their own |
nests. Once a pair has taken |
over nest the Texas zoologist !
captures the male and irradiates |
its sex glands. Then it is turned |
loose--a completely wild animal |