Scientists often use a grid placed over an image of a large population of organisms in order to estimate the total population. The grid allows the scientist to get a quick count of a smaller area and then multiply to get an estimate for the entire population.

Follow these steps to estimate the number of cells in your sample:

1. Choose a box in the grid with an "average" number of cells.
Use the letters and numbers to identify your grid box (for example, B2).
2. Count the number of cells in your selected grid box. Cell count =
3. Count the total number of grid boxes. Total boxes =
4. To get the estimate of the total population, multiply the cell count by the total number of grid boxes.
Population Estimate =



Click here to compare your estimate with the actual number of cells in the sample.