title: Morphology and size of stem cells from mouse and whale: observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the morphology and size of stem cells from two mammals of noticeably different body size.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  A humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) and a laboratory mouse (Mus musculus).
  
  
  METHODS
  Morphology and size of mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Morphologically, mesenchymal stem cells of the mouse and whale are indistinguishable. The average diameter of 50 mesenchymal stem cells from the mouse was 28 (SD 0.86) µm and 50 from the whale was 29 (SD 0.71) µm. The difference in cell size between the species was not statistically significant. Although the difference in bodyweight between the species is close to two million-fold, the mesenchymal stem cells of each were of similar size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mesenchymal stem cells of whales and mice are alike, in both morphology and size.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors: Martin J
authors: MJ
authors: Hoogduijn
authors: Johanna C
authors: JC
authors: van den Beukel
authors: Lidewij C M
authors: LC
authors: Wiersma
authors: Jooske
authors: J
authors: Ijzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D048429:Cell Size; D050640:Humpback Whale / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure