Silkworm mutation detection

Several methods have been used in the silkworm for the quantitative assessment of mutations induced by radiation and/or chemical agents. These are the specific locus method, the recessive lethal method,the dominant lethal method, and the method for detection of nondisjunction. A recessive lethal method assesses lethal mutations occurring on a whole genome and is used for the study of both spontaneously accumulated and radiation-induced lethals in the silkworm. Th system, however, is rather complicated and tedious and will not be dealt with in this article. 

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