Abstract
We have studied the effects of 131I on the chromosomal aberration-rate of thyroid cells from the Chinese hamster. The animals were given a single injection of 131I intraperitoneally, and after selected intervals of time the thyroids were removed and the cells grown in tissue culture. It was found that thyroid cells are sensitive to irradiation as indicated by chromosome damage at dose-levels as low as 6 rad. There was also an increase in the number of cells containing aberrations over the time-intervals studied, suggesting a persistence of these cells for long periods of time. Dicentrics and other forms of the chromosome type of aberration occurred most frequently, indicating that most of the injury took place while the thyroid cells were in the G1 stage of the cell-cycle.