| Abstract: | Gland cells of the gastrodermis of Hydra when isolated from the epidermis are capable of dedifferentiating into interstitial cells. Under proper environmental conditions these interstitial cells are capable of undergoing meiotic divisions and forming normal gametes. This dedifferentiation and redifferentiation sequence has been studied at the level of the light and electron microscope. It is concluded that in Hydra there is no specific germinal cell line determined during embryogeny, and that a somatic cell under proper environmental conditions can be induced to undergo meiosis. |
