Fast/easy way to measure cell size - (Feb/27/2013 )

Dear Bioforum members,

I am looking for a technique and a protocol (or just the reference) that will show changes in cell size. I know this could be done using flow cytometry, but am just curious if there are other options out there and whether they are easier and faster to perform. My cells undergo cell cycle arrest upon treatment, so I'll have to control for that too:

Thank you.

If you have largely discrete cells or a monolayer with holes and you know the number of cells seeded you could use imageJ to work out the area covered and divide by the number of cells.

Thanks, bob1. I'll look into this. I can simply count the cells from a plate cultured and treated in parallel, I guess. However, I'll have to control for dividing cells, since I am trying to prove that a compound blocks macromolecule synthesis and, as a consequence, the cell cycle, rather than the other way around - block of cell proliferation, so no need of doubling of the size. Thanks for your answer.

For cell cycle - do FACS with PI staining, it will tell you the proportion of cells in which phase of the cell cycle...

Yeah, thanks. That's what I think is the best way to proceed in this situation. Thanks again.