Heavy metal ions influence on conifer seeds germination and mitotic division

The seed biostructure presents a differential response of both at the biochemical action of manganese ions - the inhibition or stimulation of specific enzymatic reactions - as at the osmotic characteristics of seeds tegument, depending on the studied plant species. The analysis of the cytological slides showed increased values of the mitotic index (MI) at dilution 10-3 MnCl2 solution for larch (exposure time 48 hours) and 10-2 MnCl2 solution for spruce (exposure time 21 days).