Cell Counting Microscope

A variety of cell counting methods exist for exactly this purpose including the hemocytometer.

Cell counting microscope.

The hemocytometer has two gridded chambers in its middle which are covered with a special glass slide when counting. Cell counting is rather straightforward and requires a counting chamber called a hemocytometer a device invented by the 19 th century french anatomist louis charles malassez to perform blood cell counts. Cells are the basic units of life and contain cytoplasm dna ribosomes and a cell membrane. The charged counting chamber is then placed on the microscope stage and the counting grid is brought into focus at low power.

If using a glass hemocytometer very gently fill both chambers underneath the coverslip allowing the cell suspension to be drawn out by capillary action. Again multiply by 1000 to determine cell count per ml 250 000. When using a light microscope to examine living cells you may want to calculate the cell density. Using a pipette take 100 µl of trypan blue treated cell suspension and apply to the hemocytometer.

A drop of cell culture is placed in the space between the chamber and the glass cover. A counting chamber is a microscope slide that is especially designed to enable cell counting. Hemocytometers and sedgewick rafter counting chambers are two types of counting chambers.