Abstract
Chromosomes of maize microsporocytes exposed to ethanol have been found to exhibit an array of abnormalities: pachytene desynapsis, decondensation at later meiotic prophase and metaphase I, chiasmatic failure following crossing over, bivalent interlocking and polyspory. Results suggest new techniques for study of the synaptonemal complex, chromosome structure, crossing over, chiasmate associations and other meiotic phenomena.