Table 2.

Quantification of elements in C. elegans oocytes.

	−1			−2			−3			−4
	Mean	SEM	N	Mean	SEM	N	Mean	SEM	N	Mean	SEM	N
P	8.07 × 1011	6.76 × 1010	5	8.30 × 1011	5.43 × 1010	5	7.67 × 1011	3.13 × 1010	5	6.50 × 1011	6.31 × 1010	5
Fe	1.97 × 109	3.19 × 108	5	1.60 × 109	2.18 × 108	5	1.46 × 109	1.36 × 108	5	1.36 × 109	1.75 × 108	5
Cu	2.59 × 108	3.85 × 107	5	2.28 × 108	2.37 × 107	5	2.00 × 108	1.38 × 107	5	1.94 × 108	2.74 × 107	5
Zn	3.83 × 109	4.44 × 108	5	3.67 × 109	3.86 × 108	5	3.54 × 109	1.28 × 108	5	53.40 × 109	3.63 × 108	5

Mean number of atoms/cell of phosphorous (P), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the −1 oocyte (n = 5), −2 oocyte (n = 5), −3 oocyte (n = 5), and − 4 oocyte (n = 5). Note that phosphorus was included in the analysis because maps of this element are routinely used to delineate cell boundaries.