Some pathologic alterations in animal tissue sections, because of low resolution, are not identified using light microscopy. Availability of higher resolution in electron microscopy (EM) confers a decisive role on EM for diagnostic pathology that is well accepted. Much has already been contributed by EM in understanding of liver diseases. However, EM has been further refined by adding a quantitative facet to the results. Morphometric technique allows transfer of facts acquired from 2-dimensional samples, e.g., electron micrographs, to a 3-dimensional perspective. In addition, the technique is valuable in determining the significance of the alterations especially in instances where the changes numerically are either scanty or indistinguishable from a normal appearance of the cells or tissues (Fig. 1).

In our work on the effects of several different PCB congeners, one of the compounds, namely, congener number 153 was studied to obtain morphometric data on the lesions in the liver of rats given the congener in the diets for 13 weeks.