Table 1.
Methods for measuring cell size
| method | measured quantity |
measurement principle |
advantages/ disadvantages |
references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| flow cytometry | ||||
| resistive-pulse sensing (coulter counter) |
volume | change in resistance due to volume displacement |
fast and accurate/does not track individual cells |
[25, 152, 153] |
| fluorescent flow cytometry and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) |
volume and shape |
light scatter | high-throughput, can be combined with different fluorescent labels / indirect measurement of size, does not track individual cells |
[154, 155] |
| protein content |
total fluorescence after FITC staining |
|||
| imaging | ||||
| bright field | area | volume estimate from area of focal plane |
Single cell time course capability, /difficult to accurately identify cell border |
[156] |
| fluorescent proteins | protein content |
fluorescence of constitutively expressed fluorophores |
Single cell time course capability/ indirect measurement |
[17] |
| interferometry | dry mass | phase shifts caused by biomolecules biomolecules |
Single cell time course capability, dry mass determination with subcellular resolution / complicated analysis |
[157-159] |
| microchannelresonators | buoyant mass |
Changes in mass affect resonance frequency |
Single-cell time course capability/ low throughput, specialized equipment needed |
[23, 49] |