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SUMMARY
Root tips of Vicia faba were irradiated with 500 R. To diminish radiation damage the roots were treated with a 0.05 mol solution of Cysteine for different periods of time. They were exposed to this solution not only before but also after irradiation. Besides a combined treatment hereof was applied. Mitotic index, duration of mitotic cycle and irregularities of nucleus were used as parameters of radiation damage and radioprotection. It turned out that an exposure of 75 min. (concerning mitotic index and duration of mitotic cycle) and of 30 min. (concerning defects of nucleus) attain highest protection. Cysteine treatment after irradiation also was effective though less than with pretreatment. Radiation induced disturbance of mitosis was eleminated completely. Defects of nucleus were diminished by 60 p.c. with pretreatment and by 30 p.c. with treatment after irradiation. A further reduction of nucleic detects was observed when a combined treatment was used. Under these conditions 85 p.c. of defects were reduced. Concerning mitotic index it was shown that a treatment after irradiation influences the effect of pretreatment: The protective effect was partially less than with a single treatment.