Patches in the livers of chimaeric mice.

Sections of adult chimaeric livers have been histochemically stained for beta-glucuronidase activity and patches of two cell populations visualized. A one-dimensional clonal analysis has been used to estimate the number of coherent clones in the adult liver. The data are consistent with a total of 9-22 million regular, coherent clones, comprising 10-34 nuclei, or a smaller number of irregular, branched coherent clones. Both of these alternatives suggest considerable cell mixing during liver morphogenesis.