Stereological model system for free cells and base-line data for human peripheral blood-derived small T-lymphocytes

T-lymphocytes derived from human peripheral blood and passed through a nylon-wool column, were employed to develop and test a new stereological model system for free spherical cells, allowing a quantitative characterization of the cell and its components at the ultrastructural level. Electron micrographs were recorded in a hierarchical manner at three different levels of magnification and subjected to point counting procedures. The resulting parameters were expressed in relation to various reference compartments, both absolute and relative. Results indicated that the average volume of a small, non-activated T-lymphocyte was 103.8 micron3, the nuclear volume 47.5 micron3 and the cytoplasmic volume 55.9 micron3. On the average, the cytoplasm contained 30 mitochondria, 0.7 micron3 RER-cisternae, 0.2 micron3 cisternae and vesicles of the Golgi apparatus and about 231,000 free ribosomes (most of them single). The ratio of eu- to heterochromatin volume was 0.5. The design and application of the stereological model system are discussed with regard to dynamic studies of a variety of free cells, such as macrophages, neutrophilic granulocytes and various lymphocytes.