Computer assessment of chromatin patterns on some germ line cells of the hemipteran, Triatoma infestans Klug.

The digitized nuclear images of some Feulgen-stained primary and secondary spermatocytes of Triatoma infestans were analyzed with computer programs. Different cell types could be mathematically discriminated in terms of distance of the condensed chromatin areas from the center of the nucleus, relative circumference of these areas, and staining intensity ratio of the condensed chromatin areas with respect to the whole nucleus. The method appears promising for further comparative studies involving the whole spermatogenetic process of T. infestans. It is probably advantageous for the analysis of other hemipteran (and even non-hemipteran) spermatogeneses.