Practice question

Flow cytometry analyzes physical and chemical properties of individual cells suspended in fluid. Hydrodynamic focusing forces single file passage through laser intercept, measuring forward scatter proportional to size, side scatter indicating granularity, and fluorescence from labeled antibodies or dyes reflecting antigen expression, DNA content or calcium flux. It does not sequence DNA, assess protein tertiary folding or amplify nucleic acids like PCR. Applications include immunophenotyping, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis detection, sorting of specific populations for culture, making it powerful for quantitative cellular property measurement.