The Coulter counter relies on which physical principle to count cells?

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Multiple Choice

The Coulter counter relies on which physical principle to count cells?

The principle being tested is electrical impedance counting. In a Coulter counter, cells suspended in conductive fluid pass through a very small aperture with a constant electrical current flowing. When a cell traverses the aperture, it displaces electrolyte and briefly changes the impedance of the circuit, producing a pulse. The height of each pulse is proportional to the cell’s volume, and the number of pulses corresponds to the cell count in the sample. This electrical impedance method specifically distinguishes the Coulter counter from methods based on ultracentrifugation, optical diffraction, or magnetic resonance, which rely on density separation, light-based detection, or magnetic properties, respectively.

The principle being tested is electrical impedance counting. In a Coulter counter, cells suspended in conductive fluid pass through a very small aperture with a constant electrical current flowing. When a cell traverses the aperture, it displaces electrolyte and briefly changes the impedance of the circuit, producing a pulse. The height of each pulse is proportional to the cell’s volume, and the number of pulses corresponds to the cell count in the sample. This electrical impedance method specifically distinguishes the Coulter counter from methods based on ultracentrifugation, optical diffraction, or magnetic resonance, which rely on density separation, light-based detection, or magnetic properties, respectively.

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