Data from the Tien Shan array Adron on the dependence of the lateral distributions of the electron-photon component (age parameter S) in extensive air showers of cosmic rays on the number of electrons, N-e, which is a quantity that characterizes the primary-nucleus energy E-0, are subjected to a comparative analysis. The distributions in question are given both for all showers and for showers accompanying high-energy gamma rays and hadrons in x-ray emulsion chambers. According to calculations, events associated with the latter are generated predominantly by primary protons, and this makes it possible to assess their role at various values of E-0. The distributions with respect to S suggest a significant fraction of light nuclei, predominantly protons, in the region after the knee in the spectrum for N-e > 10(6), at least up to N-e = 5.6 X 10(6) (E-0 similar to 10 PeV). (C) 2003 MAIK ''Nauka/Interperiodica".
