ABSTRACT
The fact that viral susceptibility changes during embryogenesis has been pointed out by both experimental embryologists and clinical practitioners, not to mention virologists working with avian material. In attempts to find the fundamental factors which make embryonic tissue susceptible or resistant to a given virus, the metabolic and proliferative rate have been considered relevant (Williamson et al., 1953; Robertson et al., 1955; Tôndury, 1956). Experience accumulated in studies of the replication of various viruses in tissue culture has taught us that a high metabolic rate and active proliferation may not always enhance viral replication (Ginsberg, 1958). However, there seems to be justification for the view that an injurious agent leads to more severe tissue damage when it exercises its effect upon actively proliferating tissues than when it does so at the ‘resting stage’ .
