FIGURE 6.

A number estimate obtained by the disector is independent of object size. (a) A region (dark gray), containing 18 cells (blue objects), is cut into three series of sections. For each of the three series that can be used to count, the sections of the previous series are used as look‐up sections (b–d). In series (b), eight cells are counted in the sample sections (blue objects) that were not present in the look‐up sections (red objects). In series (c) and (d), four and six cells are counted. The average count is six cells in one‐third of the sections, which multiplied by three provides the true number of 18 cells [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]