ABSTRACT
Cytometry is a measurement technique that captures the physical or chemical characteristics of single cells and uses these properties to sort them. Flow cytometry forces cells to flow in a single file past a detection region to facilitate the measurement of cell properties. These properties guide the electrical or mechanical sorting of cells into proper collection reservoirs. In fact, many biological and nonbiological entities can be analyzed and sorted using flow cytometry including mammalian cells, viruses, bacteria, particles, chromosomes, lipids, proteins, and ions. In medicine, flow cytometry is an indispensable tool for blood analysis, isolation of stem cells, detection of malignant cells, immunology, and genetic analysis. It is also an important technique in cell and molecular biology and environmental monitoring. A key feature of flow cytometry is that cells are sorted without the loss of their viability.
