Stereological analysis of the gastrointestinal tract

This chapter provides an overview of the stereology, normal anatomy, and histology of the rat gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In addition to staining and tissue processing, various sampling protocols and stereological techniques that can be used to estimate the volume and/or volume fraction of any GIT layers, such as the Cavalieri principle, are also discussed. A number of methods are also available for calculating the numbers of any GIT cells. This chapter discusses physical and optical disectors, as well as fractionators, and how these can be applied in the GIT. Images have been added to simplify the discussion.