Measurement of Size Distributions of Bacterial Cells

Harvey, R. J. (University of California, Davis), and Allen G. Marr. Measurement of size distributions of bacterial cells. J. Bacteriol. 92:805–811. 1966.—Apparatus for the automatic determination of the volume distribution of particles by measurement of the amplitude of pulses generated in a Coulter transducer is described. Distributions of volume estimated by direct measurement of pulse amplitude are distorted by coincidence. Differentiation and integration of the pulses followed by automatic pulse-height analysis permit precise measurement of volume of latex spheres and of bacteria over a range of at least 0.25 to 20 μ3. The apparatus is also capable of accurate determination of particle concentration over a wide range. Other advantages are the speed of both measurement and data processing.