Studies Of The Mitotic Chromosomal Differences Of Three Varieties Of Maize (Zea Maysl.)

ABSTRACT

The mitotic chromosomal defferences of three varieties of maize (Zea mays everta, Zea mays saccharata and Zea mays turnicata) from root tips were investigated using squashing method. 0.05g of Colchicine, 3:1 ethanol-glacial acetic acid and 70% of ethanol was used for pretreatment and fixation. 1N HCl were used for hydrolysis and 2g of orcein was use for staining. the diploid number of Zea mays everta, Zea mays saccharata and Zea mays turnicatawas 2n=20 each, well spread with few overlapping chromosomes were obtained. Chromosome I with the highest value was the longest chromosome were as the shortest chromosome and the shortest chromosome is chromosome X. In Zea mays evertachromosome I, II and V was metacentrics while the rest are non-metacentrics. In Zea mays sacharata, chromosome I and II are metacentric while the rest are non-metacentrics. In Zea mays turnicata, chromosome I, II and III are metacentrics while the rest are non-metacentrics.

 TABLE OF CONTENT

Cover page ﾿ i

Title page ﾿ ii

Declaration ﾿ iii

Certification ﾿ iv

Dedication ﾿ v

Acknowledgement ﾿ vi

Table of content ﾿ vii

List of tables ﾿ ix

Abstract ﾿ x

CHAPTER ONE 

1.0 ﾿ Introduction ﾿ 1

1.1 Justification ﾿ 4

1.2 Objectives ﾿ 4

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature review ﾿ 6

2.1 Botany of maize ﾿ 6

2.2 Chromosome number and behavour ﾿ 7

2.3 Genetic modification ﾿ 8

2.4 ﾿ Cross between Zeamays species and hybridization ﾿ 9

2.4 ﾿ Intra specific crosses ﾿ 9

2.4.2 Interspecific crosses. ﾿ 9

2.4.3 Intergeneric hybridization ﾿ 10

2.5 Maize genetics, corn type races and genetic resources ﾿ 11

2.6 Biotechnology intervention ﾿ 14

2.7 Economic importance ﾿ 14

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Materials and method ﾿ 15

3.1 Study area ﾿ 15

3.2 Source of plants ﾿ 15

3.3 Pretreatment and fixation ﾿ 15

3.4 Hydrolysis ﾿ 16

3.5 Ethical issues ﾿ 16

3.6 Measurement of the chromosomal lengths ﾿ 16

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Results ﾿ 17

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Discussion and conclusion ﾿ 22

5.1 Discussion ﾿ 22

5.2 Conclusion ﾿ 25

5.3 Recommendation ﾿ 26

References