Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the use of flow cytometry to examine cell shrinkage, a fundamental characteristic of apoptosis, and its combination with other fluorescent markers and cell size related to other features of the cell death process. Flow cytometry is a relatively fast and easy way to determine changes in cell size during apoptosis. The chapter observes and assesses the variations in the physical characteristics of a cell with the flow cytometry by examining changes in its light-scattering properties. A change in the light-scattering property of a cell in the forward direction is a direct measure of cell size; a decrease or increase in forward scatter indicates a decrease or increase in cell size, respectively. Additionally, a change in light scatter at a 90 ° angle is a measure of cell density or granularity. When a cell undergoes apoptosis, the cell shrinks, with an observed decrease in forward-scattered light. There are many advantages to using flow cytometry to determine changes in cell size during apoptosis. Flow cytometry allows for a very rapid and simple analysis of cell size. The chapter concludes with these distinct populations of apoptotic cells that can be isolated and examined at various times during the cell death process.

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