A formula to predict the transmission frequency of acentric fragments.

A formula, based on the Poisson distribution of radiation-induced chromosomal deletions, was derived to predict the frequency of transmission of acentric fragments between subsequent mitoses. The frequency of deletions observed in the i(th) + 1 division subsequent to fragment distribution at the i(th) division anaphase is independent of the cell death resulting from fragment loss. Further, the transmission frequency of chromosome acentric fragments is mathematically equal to the fragment frequency observed in the i(th) + 1 generation divided by the mean fragment frequency in the i(th) generation. The formula was also extended to chromatid deletions.