Allow me to start by observing that, in the word “reproduction”, the initial syllable, Re, has a remarkable importance, at least to the geneticist. In fact, when we say “reproduction”, we do not merely mean that a living being is produced, but we also mean that the production of such a living being implies the repetition of a model that is present in the species, in the population, in the family.

Moreover, the model that is reproduced is not only that of an embryo, of a fetus, of a neonate, but is also that of a child, of an adolescent, of an adult, of an old man.

Reproduction is therefore the repetition of a model that is not limited to the amphimixis, to gestation or birth, but that dominates throughout the entire cycle of life with a continuous variability, that is, through a dynamic and individualized phenogenesis. Such an extension of the concept of reproduction from the stage of conception to the standards of the successive ages, requires that a view based on immediate times be substituted with a view based on long times. This means, in other words, that a new parameter should be explicitly considered as part of the zygote's blueprint: the chronologic parameter.

A simple additive model of genes plus environment, based on intrapair similarities observed in 35 MZ and 35 like-sexed DZ twin pairs, was used to estimate the relative contribution of genetically controlled phenotypic variance in psychomotor individuality. Subjects practiced 50 trials on a pursuit rotor apparatus under a 20-sec/20-sec, work-rest schedule with a 30 min rest pause allowed between trials 30 and 31. Analyses of the data disclosed that a greater proportion of genetic factors, as opposed to nongenetic factors, appears to account for existing individual differences in motor performance among individuals subject to similar environmental conditions. The strength of this genetic control, however, systematically diminished throughout the course of practice obeying a monotonie trend over trials.

Aiming at determining the influence of some genetic factors on growth and development, a longitudinal study of 180 children (90 M and 90 F) from the city of Lublin was carried out, with periodical medical examinations and anthropometric measurements from birth to 7 years of age. The parents of each child were also examined.

The correlation coefficients between parents and children show that, as regards height, the greatest similarity occurs between mothers and daughters, and a lesser one between fathers and sons. As regards weight, sons are more similar to fathers than daughters to mothers.

The relationship between the growth and development of children and the mating type of parents, parental age, and birth order, was also investigated. In negative assortative mating, the children are taller than the children of middle-height parents from positive assortative mating couples. Children (especially daughters) of tall mothers and short fathers grow taller than children of tall fathers and short mothers.

Finally, the dependence of growth on parental age and birth order was analysed and the conclusions reached were quite interesting.

In the years 1966-1976, 50 pairs of Warsaw twins (27 MZ and 23 DZ) were subjected to longitudinal investigations. The twins were aged 9-11 years at the beginning of the observations, and 19-22 at their conclusion. The observations consisted of comprehensive somatic measurements and of the evaluation of biological maturity. The rate of growth of the twins, defined by the magnitude of yearly increments of body height, proved to be more concordant in MZ than DZ pairs. The appearance of the adolescent spurt occurred in the same year in 81 % of MZ and ca. 43% of DZ pairs. A very slight relationship was found between the rate of growth and final body height. The attaining of subsequent stages of sexual maturity in MZ twins was concordant in 88%, and in DZ twins in 30-39%, according to the respective stage. The body height curves were represented be means of three numerical parameters.

Previous collaborative studies have shown the substantial superimposability of electrophoretic patterns of non-Ig plasma proteins in twin pairs only if MZ. The above findings provide the basis for (a) twin pair zygosity determinations and (b) studies aimed at discriminating genetic and environmental factors in the alteration of protein patterns in various diseases (especially neoplastic). Such studies require adequate standardization of methods, and the present paper offers a substantial contribution to the standardization of pattern comparisons.

A total of 58 dermatoglyphic characters, consisting of topologically significant pattern elements, i.e., loops and triradii, on palms, soles and fingertips, were tested in a sample of 110 MZ and 111 like-sexed DZ twin pairs. The analysis included homolateral, heterolateral and bilateral concordance rates, the derived Hecoefficient, coefficients of the within-pair association, Φ, derived χ2 intraclass correlation coefficients and heritability estimates based on variances (h2) and correlations (Hr), and the variance ratio F.

A considerable difference was found in respect of “heritability” values between palmar and sole patterns, in that they are the highest for sole loops and triradii and the lowest for most palmar loops. These data are compared with the h2 values obtained from family correlations.

The difficulties in the interpretation of “heritability” estimates based on the material of twins are pointed out and particular attention is drawn to a possibility of the additional bias in twin studies related to a degree of symmetry of the characters investigated.

In 184 autopsies of death newborns, stillborn infants and aborted fetuses (mostly with congenital malformations), 57 (30.98%) umbilical cord anomalies were discovered (38 M and 19 F): 19 cases with knots (10.32%), 17 with arterial agenesis (9.2%,), 8 with focal fibrosis of Wharton's jelly (4.34%), 7 with varices and thrombosis (3.8%0), and6 (3.25%) with other anomalies. Thirtyone of the fetuses were born from first pregnancy, 32 were stillborn and 26 premature.

Six cases of trisomy 4p and three of trisomy 9p are reported. Growth retardation is an aspecific clinical sign, present in both of these “new autosomal” syndromes. Growth hormone determinations fit in the normal range. The attempts to subclassify these disorders correlating the severity of clinical manifestations and the size of the imbalanced chromosome segment, are considered unrealistic approaches.

The preliminary results of a cytogenetic analysis of blast index, mitotic index and association index, as well as of morphological indices of chromosomes 1, 9 and 16, carried out on two subsamples of twin pairs of different age groups, seem to indicate that the genetic material may undergo some process of transformation with time.

In three girls, aged 14, 15 and 16 years, the chromosome analysis revealed a morphologically abnormal, enlarged X-chromosome resembling in size and centromere position the chromosome no. 2. The translocation points were different in all three cases. The Barr-bodies were enlarged. In two girls a 45,X mosaicism (25% and 10%) was found in lymphocyte cultures.

The length at birth was 43, 47 and 48 cm, and none of the girls was born before term. The main clinical abnormalities in all three cases were a marked growth retardation, slight morphological dysplasias, lack of sexual development and social immaturity. GH and Cortisol secretion during an insulin tolerance test were normal. LH and FSH were elevated and showed an exaggerated reaction on LH-RH. Oestrogens were low normal and androgens within the normal range. At laparatomy the gonads were found to be streak gonads. For two girls cell cultures of gonadal tissue were set up? the chromosome findings of which corresponded to those of the lymphocyte cultures.

The abnormality of the gonosomes reported here seems to represent a special form of gonadal dysgenesis. Although the translocation points were different in the three patients and one had no mosaic, while the other two showed 45,X/46,XX mosaicism, the clinical and hormonal findings were nearly the same for all three girls.

A case of a patient carrying a 9p trisomy due to a maternal t(9;18) (p 13;p11) translocation is reported. In addition to the principal findings which characterize the 9p trisomy syndrome, this case presents some dysmorphic features due to the partial deletion of chromosome 18.

Two unrelated patients with multiple congenital malformations and severe mental retardation were found to be carrier of a non-mosaic ring 22 chromosome abnormality. These observations further confirm the phenotypical variability of r(22) expression, which makes unreliable the attempts to delineate a clinical profile of the syndrome

In four families of color blind subjects, a dermatoglyphic analysis was made and the results compared with data from normal subjects. The Student's t test, howeverf failed to show any significant differences in the means of the two groups.

The palmar flexion creases of fully diagnosed patients of throat cancer (n = 120) and tuberculosis (n = 80) have been compared with a control group (n = 150) of the same stock. The palmar flexion creases of cancer and tuberculosis patients ate significantly different from those of the control population.

ABO blood groups have been examined in a sample of 400 chicken-pox patients and their 383 unaffected siblings from Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh, India. Subjects of blood group A (and possibly AB) would appear to have a somewhat higher risk than persons with group B and O to develop chicken pox.

The distribution of ABO, MN and Rh-Hr phenotypes has been examined in a sample of 688 twin pairs, with particular emphasis on the ABO distribution. It appears that MZ and DZ pairs exhibit opposing deviations from the expected distribution; such deviations tend to cancel out each other in the total sample, thus masking the phenomenon.

The results are briefly discussed, calling for an extension of the study to the twins' families, while forthcoming papers will present further analyses.

Haptoglobin polymorphism has been studied in 148 Ladakhis — a Mongoloid population inhabiting the northernmost region of India. With a frequency of 0.270 for the allele Hp1 the Ladakhis compare favourably with other Mongoloid populations.