hemocytometri

Hemocytometry is a technique used for counting microscopic particles suspended in a known volume of liquid, most commonly blood cells. The core tool is a hemocytometer, which is a specialized microscope slide with a grid etched onto its surface. This grid is precisely calibrated to define specific areas of known volume. When a small, known volume of a sample is placed under a coverslip on the hemocytometer, the cells within the grid area can be visualized and counted using a microscope.

The process typically involves diluting the sample, often with a specific solution that lyses red blood cells if counting white blood cells, or preserves all cells if counting red blood cells or platelets. A precisely measured volume of this diluted sample is then loaded into the chamber(s) of the hemocytometer. After allowing the cells to settle, the user scans the grid under the microscope and counts the cells within designated squares. By multiplying the cell count by the dilution factor and dividing by the volume of the counted area, the concentration of cells per unit volume in the original sample can be determined. This method is widely used in clinical diagnostics, research, and various scientific disciplines for cell enumeration.