Stereology in human morphology
Abstract
The image is a 2-dimensional representation of the form and inner structure of the body or parts thereof. It can be obtained either by physical or optical sectioning or by projection from the mostly uneven surface or different levels from the interior of the object. Quantitative image analysis data obtained from sections may be interpreted stereologically in 3-dimensional space, though the data obtained on projections can be taken as semiquantitative astereological information of the inner structure. The crucial point for obtaining valuable stereological results is an appropriate sampling strategy as well as a sufficient number of sample units. The task of analytical statistics is often to decide whether two samples are from the same or from different populations. The decision is sometimes possible after observation of data from one variable, but more accurate after consideration of two or more variables. These data and appropriate statistical procedures enable exact description of morphological processes, correlation of morphological data with biochemical data, discrimination between normal and pathological conditions, and between pathological conditions with various levels of deviation from the normal.