Analysis of a single cell

How would you measure and plot on a graph the changes in a single cell from itsbirth to its division ?
If individual cells are different, a flow cytometer is just about your only hope. It would not be easy to determine how far along the cell was in its cycle of growth.
If all the cells are the same, you can analyze them all and divide by the number of cells to get your data on a per cell basis. As we have seen, synchronous culture is a way to get all cells very nearly the same.

A possible experiment could be:

  1. cool a large volume of cells that are in culture medium. For some types of microorganisms, this will impair a step in division so that all cells get to that point and stop.
  2. return the system to the temperature for growth and start timing.
  3. take large enough samples for analysis at time intervals to or slightly past the time when cells will have divided. Stop growth of the samples or get the analysis started immediately.
  4. quite complicated assay procedures are possible. You may wish to follow total protein, DNA, RNA, and the like or to focus on very specific biochemicals.
  5. count the number of cells.
  6. divide each result by the number of cells and plot versus time. There should be an increase up to division time and then a drop back to the starting concentration. The slopes of the lines may be very different because some biochemicals may not begin to accumulate until cell division is imminent.
Continue to simulation of synchronous culture