Unbiased Stereology: A Concise Guide

Description

This update to Peter R. Mouton’s pioneering work provides bioscientists with the concepts needed in order to apply the principles and practices of unbiased stereology to research involving biological tissues. Mouton starts with a brief explanation of the history and theory of the process before defining the terms, concepts, and tools of unbiased stereological procedures. He compares and contrasts the procedures with less-exacting approaches to quantitative analysis of biological structure using specific examples from biomedical literature. The book incorporates existing best practices with new methodologies, such as the Rare Event Protocol, while simplifying the dense, often difficult literature on the subject to show the utility and importance of unbiased stereology. This clear, insightful guide goes a step further than other books on this subject by demonstrating not only how to use unbiased stereology but also how to interpret and present the results. Written by the official U.S. representative to the International Society for Stereology, this is the most complete, up-to-date resource on the science of unbiased stereology. Those new to bioscience research as well as experienced practitioners will find that Mouton’s explanations are the perfect companion for stereology courses and workshops. Dedication Contents Preface 1 . . . ELIAS COINS A WORD 2 . . . SOLID 3-D OBJECTS 3 . . . REGIONAL VOLUME ESTIMATION 4 . . . AREA ESTIMATION BY POINT COUNTING 5 . . . PROBE-OBJECT INTERSECTIONS 6 . . . VOLUME BY CAVALIERI POINT COUNTING 7 . . . ACCURACY AND PRECISION 8 . . . FROM 2-D TO 3-D 9 . . . SURFACE AREA AND LENGTH 10 . . . TOTAL OBJECT NUMBER 11 . . . RARE EVENTS 12. . . LOCAL SIZE ESTIMATORS 13. . . DO MORE, LESS WELL 14. . . UNCERTAINTY 15. . . COMPUTERIZED STEREOLOGY SYSTEMS 16. . . A SURVEY OF TISSUE 17. . . PEER REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Appendix: Conceptual Framework for Organic Stereology Glossary Bibliography Index