ABSTRACT
Flow cytometry is a technique used to detect, identify, and count specific cells. This method can also identify specific components within cells. So, it is used for the detection and measurement of physical and chemical characteristics of cells or particles in a heterogeneous fluid mixture. Lasers as light sources are used to produce both scattered and fluorescent light signals, which are then read by detectors such as photodiodes or photomultiplier tubes. Multiparametric flow cytometry provides rapid and accurate determination of antigen expression profiles in leukemias. By detecting different types of markers, one can easily differentiate between different types of leukemias. Cell sorting or fluorescence-activated cell sorting allows the physical separation of a cell or particle of interest from a heterogeneous population. A mixture of fluorescently stained cells is passed through a small aperture. A fluorescent-labeled antibody specific to a particular cell surface protein is added to the mixture of cells.
