Table 1.

Quantification of elements during meiotic progression in the C. elegans embryo

	Prophase I (N2)			MI Arrest (AV335)			Embryo (N2)			1-Cell (N2)			2-Cell (N2)
	Mean	SEM	N	Mean	SEM	N	Mean	SEM	N	Mean	SEM	N	Mean	SEM	N
P	8.87 × 1011	6.76 × 1010	15	7.79 × 1011	2.19 × 1010	15	5.09 × 1012	7.29 × 1011	7	2.40 × 1012	8.88 × 1011	10	2.72 × 1012	9.97 × 1011	9
Fe	1.10 × 109	1.72 × 108	15	2.56 × 109	5.42 × 107	15	7.35 × 109	6.64 × 108	7	3.57 × 109	1.51 × 109	10	3.23 × 109	1.24 × 109	9
Cu	2.43 × 108	2.76 × 107	15	3.19 × 108	1.36 × 107	15	1.79 × 109	1.96 × 108	7	1.75 × 109	5.05 × 108	10	1.95 × 109	1.08 × 109	9
Zn	2.72 × 109	2.68 × 108	15	4.61 × 109	1.13 × 108	15	2.19 × 1010	3.81 × 109	7	1.45 × 1010	4.66 × 109	10	1.51 × 1010	5.29 × 109	9

Mean number of atoms/cell of phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the Prophase I (n = 15), Metaphase I arrest (n = 15), Embryo (n = 7), 1-cell (n = 10), and 2-cell (n = 9) stages. Note that phosphorus was included in the analysis because maps of this element are routinely used to delineate cell boundaries.