ABSTRACT
The growth of simple multicellular systems beyond a diameter of 100 µm or so is limited by the availability of oxygen. The metabolic needs of the cells near the center of the cell aggregate exceed the supply of oxygen available by simple diffusion. This is illustrated in Figure 6.1 for isolated islet organs (Brockman bodies) of the ˜sh, Osphronemus gorami. The islet organs, typically 800 µm in diameter, were placed in culture, and the oxygen partial pressure in the surrounding media and within the cells was measured radially using an oxygen microelectrode.
