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Morphometric study of normal and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes

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Summary

The morphological changes of human lymphocytes living in vitro under the influence of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were estimated quantitatively by stereological methods. Mean volume and volume fractions for average human lymphocyte and average blastoid cell from 72-hour culture with PHA were determined. It was found that the lymphocyte volume increases on an average 3.7 times mainly because of cytoplasmic volume increment by 4.3 times. The greatest enlargement concerned endoplasmic reticulum, the nucleolus, lysosomes and mitochondria. In addition a way of correction of the error in experimentally obtained volume fractions, resulting from the exclusive use of sections involving the nucleus is presented.

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Konwiński, M., Kozłowski, T. Morphometric study of normal and phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes. Z.Zellforsch 129, 500–507 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316745

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