Vital staining of developing eggs

Conclusions

• 1. An attempt is made to interpret Ehrlich's and Unna's vital staining electrically.

• 2. The main part of the virginal egg appears to be positive in the surface layer and in the “black point” of the axolotl egg.

• 5. The developing embryo seems electronegative and extracellular in its main mass.

• 4. It is probable that electrostatic attraction and repulsion contribute to fertilization although the manner in which these forces operate are thus far inexplicable.

• 5. The importance of the role played by electrostatic attraction and repulsion is to be stressed.

• 6. The fact that Na is under all conditions positive, is in contrast with the behavior of potassium which is positive in the inorganic world of solutions in distilled water while it is negative in the milieu of living cells.

• 7. With acid violet in picric acid, rich contrast staining of living snail eggs was obtained. Around the developing egg at least three violet rings appear. Between these rings and the embryo is the egg yolk, a further ring around the embryo, whose marginal cells form a further cortical structure.