Studies on the Relationship between Ribonucleic Acid Content and the Rate of Growth of Corn Roots

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Abstract
The relationship between growth rate and ribonucleic (RNA) and desoxyribonucleic acid, protein, and dry weight were studied using primary and seminal root tips (5mm section) of etiolated seedlings of a hybrid corn (Zea mays variety WF9 X M14) and its parental inbreds. Measurements made between 50 and 54 hours of germination show a direct relationship between growth rate and RNA content of the primary root tip for the inbreds but not for the hybrid. A relationship was indicated, however, between growth rate and cellular contents and dry weight for inbreds and hybrid. When the relationship was studied over longer periods (48-120 hours) of development of primary and seminal roots of hybrid seedlings, the results suggested that RNA content, either per root tip or per cell, was not the limiting factor in the control of growth rate during these early stages of root growth.