Flow Cytometry

Flow cytometry plays an important role in the understanding of many biological processes, due to its ability to simultaneously analyze multiple parameters on individual cells. Chemical and physical characteristics of cells which can be measured by flow cytometry include cell size, cell shape, surface membrane receptors, DNA content, nuclear antigens, intracellular Ca2+, intracellular pH, and gene expression. Flow cytometers can analyze a population of cells, at rates of 1000 to 30,000 cells per second depending on the type of flow cytometer.