Open AccessVariance within homogeneous phytoplankton populations, I: Theoretical framework for interpreting histograms
Author(s) -
Campbell J. W.,
Yentsch C. M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
cytometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1097-0320
pISSN - 0196-4763
DOI - 10.1002/cyto.990100514
Subject(s) - histogram , asynchronous communication , constant (computer programming) , variance (accounting) , probability density function , biological system , statistical physics , statistics , mathematics , computer science , physics , biology , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics) , computer network , accounting , business , programming language
A framework is presented for interpreting frequency distributions of volume or fluorescence as measured by a flow cytometer on homogeneous phytoplankton populations. The framework, based on both laboratory experience and theoretical concepts, is illustrated with the use of a simulation model. Asynchronous, synchronous, and phased populations were simulated, with constant and variable growth patterns over the cell cycle. Though simulations produced a wide variety of histogram shapes, including multimodal distributions, the primary difference between asynchronous and synchronous/phased distributions lies in their temporal variation. Histograms that are constant in time indicate asynchronous populations; when populations are not asynchronous, their histogram shapes vary with a periodicity on the same time scale as the cell cycle. A probability density function for the case of asynchronous populations with a constant growth rate is derived. When fitted to simulated histograms this two‐parameter density function yields estimates of the two parameters: mean and variance of cell volume (or mass) at age 0.