The Most Comprehensive Source of Stereology Information on the Web

Stereology Information for the Biological Sciences

This site introduces both basic and advanced concepts of Stereology. The emphasis is on the use of stereology in biological research, though anyone interested in learning concepts of stereology will find something of interest. The application of stereological methods to biological studies permits researchers to effectively and efficiently gather unbiased, accurate data. This site is dedicated to helping researchers understand the principles of design-based stereology and its advantages over less sophisticated approaches in quantitative histology.

What is Stereology?

Design-based stereology is a set of methods to ensure rigorous quantitative analysis of the size, shape, and number of objects. When properly used, stereology plays an important role in validating and rejecting experimental hypotheses in biological research. It produces results that are unbiased, efficient, and more reliable than other ad hoc quantitative analyses. Unbiased stereology provides an important contribution to the advancement in biological research by improving the consistency and dependability of quantitative analytical results produced in the laboratory and reported in scientific publications.

An Introduction to Stereology Probes

The most modern unbiased stereology probes are used to quantify aspects of biological tissue in a reproducible and efficient manner. These stereological probes are appropriate for many fields of basic and applied biological and medical research. These probes should always be used in conjunction with systematic random sampling.

OPTICAL FRACTIONATOR to estimate NUMBER of cells

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Estimate the size of cell populations with the optical fractionator in thick tissue sections. In this probe, sub-volumes are sampled and then are extrapolated to arrive at an estimate of the entire cell population. A virtual space called an optical disector is used in thick sections that can be oriented anyway you like. Disector counting rules are followed to avoid overestimating, and an oil objective lens is employed for imaging, since fine z-resolution is needed to find the leading edge of the cell and to have enough focal planes to determine if it is in the disector. Note: avoid counting pieces of cells when you really want to count whole cells.    OPTICAL FRACTIONATOR

 

NUCLEATOR to estimate VOLUME of cells

Estimate individual cell volumnucleator-2es with the nucleator. A point in the cell is identified, then one to four rays are marked and their mean length is used in the formula for the volume of a sphere, generating an estimate of the cell volume. The volume estimate is number-weighted; the sampling is done with a disector in thick sections so that it is not more likely to sample larger cells than smaller cells. It is important to use a method to select cells without bias by picking them in a manner that does not favor any position of the cell in space; you won’t overestimate by sampling too many larger cross-sections or underestimate by sampling too many smaller cross-sections.    NUCLEATOR

 

CAVALIERI POINT-COUNTING to estimate VOLUME of regions

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This probe is versatile in that it can be used on thin optical or physical sections that are oriented according to the preference of the researcher. A fraction of the tissue is marked with points over the region(s) of interest, and an extrapolation is carried out to arrive at the estimate. Unbiased estimates of regional volume are easy to obtain efficiently using Cavalieri point-counting.     CAVALIERI/POINT-COUNTING

 

SPACEBALLS to estimate LENGTH of fibers and vessels

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Estimate length of biological filaments such as axons or blood vessels without facing the herculean task of tracing them all. Instead the intersections of the filaments with a virtual sphere are marked and converted to a length estimate. Thick sections may be oriented as the researcher prefers. This probe is implemented along with the fractionator method; a volume-fraction is sampled and extrapolated using the reciprocal of the volume fraction to arrive at the estimate of length.    SPACEBALLS

 

ISOTROPIC FAKIR to estimate SURFACE of membranes

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To estimate surface area, a triplet of line segments that has the property of being isotropic in space is used to probe in thick sections. Intersections of the triplet with the surface are counted and a formula is used to arrive at an estimate of the surface area; the more intersections recorded the greater the surface. Like the other regional probes on this page, thick, preferentially oriented sections are used and the fractionator method works to make an extrapolation based on the fraction of volume that was sampled.     ISOTROPIC FAKIR

more probes including solutions for thin tissue sections

 

Recommended Readings

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Recent Noteworthy Stereology Publications

Published papers using unbiased stereology; last updated on 10.14.2024.

starindicates that the researchers did a good job reporting stereological parameters. To see what parameters should be reported, click here.

starModelling human neuronal catecholaminergic pigmentation in rodents recapitulates age-related neurodegenerative deficits

Dual inhibition of AIMP2 and α-synuclein by steroid derivative is neuroprotective in Parkinson’s model

The relationship between changes in inflammation and locomotor function in sensory phenotypes of central neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury

GPR101 loss promotes insulin resistance and diet-induced obesity risk

starEarly Postnatal Neuroinflammation Produces Key Features of Diffuse Brain White Matter Injury in Rats

Sparsity of population activity in the hippocampus is task-invariant across the trisynaptic circuit and dorsoventral axis

Reduced voluntary wheel running behaviour in Kiss1r knockout mice

Protective Effects of Oxyresveratrol in Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Infarction in Rats: A Stereological Study

PharmacologyProtective Effects of Oxyresveratrol in Isoproterenol[1]Induced Myocardial Infarction in Rats: A Stereological Study

starReduced Number of Oligodendrocytes in the Cingulum in Schizophrenia: A Design-Based Stereology Study

Activation of central cannabinoid type 2 receptors, but not on peripheral immune cells, is required for endocannabinoid-mediated neuroprotection in Parkinson´s disease

Engineered AAV Capsid Transport Mutants Overcome Transduction Deficiencies in the Aged CNS

A single intravenous reelin injection restores corticosterone-induced neurochemical and behavioral alterations in dams during the post-partum period

Tyrosine hydroxylase expression and neuronal loss in the male and female adolescent ventral tegmental area

starCalbindin and Girk2/Aldh1a1 define resilient vs vulnerable dopaminergic neurons in a primate Parkinson’s disease model

Neuregulin1 nuclear signaling influences adult neurogenesis and regulates a schizophrenia susceptibility gene network within the mouse dentate gyrus.

Spontaneous running wheel exercise during pregnancy prevents later neonatal-anoxia-induced somatic and neurodevelopmental alterations

starKnockout of the orphan membrane transporter Slc22a23 leads to a lean and hyperactive phenotype with a small hippocampal volume

Advancing age and the rs6265 BDNF SNP are permissive to graft-induced dyskinesias in parkinsonian rats

Fertility protection during chemotherapy treatment by boosting the NAD(P)+ metabolome

starFDA-approved cannabidiol [Epidiolex®] alleviates Gulf War Illness-linked cognitive and mood dysfunction, hyperalgesia, neuroinfammatory signaling, and declined neurogenesis

Antagonism of β-arrestins in IL-4–driven microglia reactivity via the Samd4/mTOR/OXPHOS axis in Parkinson’s disease

Effect of Adeno-Associated Virus-Transfected Mesenchymal Stem Cells Containing Agents on Bone Formation in Extended Inter-Premaxillary Suture in Rats

Repeated exposure to novelty promotes resilience against the amyloid-beta effect through dopaminergic stimulation

Volume electron microscopy analysis of synapses in primary regions of the human cerebral cortex 

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