A technique that analyzes individual cells as they flow in single file through a laser beam, measuring their physical and chemical characteristics. It can rapidly analyze thousands of cells per second, sorting them based on multiple parameters simultaneously.
Coined from 'flow' (referring to cells flowing in liquid stream), 'cyto-' from Greek 'kytos' (cell), and '-metry' from Greek 'metron' (measure). Developed in the 1960s-70s, combining advances in fluidics, optics, and electronics to create cell-by-cell analysis.
Flow cytometry is like having super-powered vision that can examine 50,000 cells per second and sort them faster than you can blink! It's so precise it can distinguish cells that differ by just a few molecules on their surface, making it invaluable for everything from cancer diagnosis to vaccine development.
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