Bassnett Lab / Supplemental Data
Morphometric analysis of fiber cell growth in the developing chicken lens
Cell cross section measurements (electron microscopy)
Explanation
The following data were derived from measurements taken from TEM micrographs. Lenses were examined at E5, E7, E9, E11, E13, E15, E17 and E19. At each age, two lenses were processed. Thus, E5-1 and E5-2 are the two lenses from the E5 sample. At each age, cell parameters were measured as a function of radial position. The center of the lens was considered radial position 0 mm. Thus, for example, in the second e11 lens (E11-2), measurements were made in 100 mm intervals from the center of the lens (position 0 mm) to the periphery (position 700 mm). At each radial position, a field of cells was examined. At position e11-2-700, for example, there were 25 cells within the field. These are assigned cell ID numbers 1-25. Sometimes, breaks appear in the cell numbers (see for example E11-2-600). This occurs when an object did not satisfy the criteria for further analysis. This would occur if, for example, the object were within a cell - perhaps a circular profile originating from an out-of-plane infolding of the lateral membrane. The measured cell parameters are cell area, cell perimeter, cell length and cell breadth. Cell length was defined as the span of the longest chord through the profile. Cell breadth was defined as the caliper width of the object perpendicular to the longest chord.
Longitudinal measurements (light microscopy)
Explanation
Cell length was measured by light microscope examination of midsagittal vibratome sections of the lens from E5-E20.
Derived values (cell surface area and volume)
Explanation
Values for cell surface area and volume as a function of age and radial position were obtained by multiplying the cell length data by the average cross sectional perimeter or cross sectional area values.