1998A&A...336..103P

The observed radial distributions of oxygen abundance in twelve spiral galaxies of various Hubble types from Sab to Sd have been compared with predictions of the closed-box model for chemical and photometric evolution of galaxies, with the purpose of searching for the deficiency of oxygen abundance in galaxies: this is an indicator of gas exchange between galaxy and its environments or/and redistribution of gas (heavy elements) within disk. It has been found that among high luminosity spiral galaxies, only NGC 3031 (M81) - a well known interacting galaxy - has a large oxygen abundance deficiency. Other high luminosity galaxies have no, or have a moderate deficiency of oxygen abundance. All the low luminosity Scd and Sd galaxies show a significant deficiency of oxygen abundance. This can be considered as an evidence in favor of that these galaxies lost a part of the heavy elements content in the course of their evolution. By considering the definition of late-type giant galaxies versus late-type dwarf galaxies dichotomy by Binggeli: "dwarf galaxies did, classical (giant) galaxies did not, suffer global mass loss by galactic winds", the present result leads to the conclusion that the transition from late-type giants to late-type dwarfs occurs within the class Scd.