[EPR spectra of silkworm eggs]

ESR spectra of the native grain of the silkworm have been studied in the course of embryo formation, during a diapause, and during embryo development after the diapause. It is shown that the nature of ESR spectra of the grain is not determined by the metabolic processes, but by the presence of pigments in it and other stationary biological structures having developed pi-systems and unpaired electrones. The latter are mainly found in the envelope and may give the ESR spectra, with various g-factors. A dependence of the ESR spectra integral intensity of the grain on the denotype is discovered.