▁in ▁function , ▁changes ▁in ▁met abol ism , ▁or ▁simply ▁being ▁in ▁different ▁phases ▁of ▁the ▁cell ▁cycle ▁or ▁some ▁other ▁factor . ▁For ▁example , ▁stem ▁cells ▁can ▁divide ▁asym met r ically , ▁which ▁means ▁the ▁two ▁result ant ▁daughter ▁cells ▁may ▁have ▁different ▁f ates ▁( special ized ▁functions ), ▁and ▁can ▁differ ▁from ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁size ▁or ▁shape . ▁Research ers ▁who ▁study ▁development ▁may ▁be ▁interested ▁in ▁tracking ▁the ▁physical ▁characteristics ▁of ▁the ▁individual ▁pro gen y ▁in ▁a ▁growing ▁population ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁understand ▁how ▁stem ▁cells ▁differenti ate ▁into ▁a ▁complex ▁t issue ▁or ▁organ ism ▁over ▁time . ▁ ▁Micro sc opy ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁analyze ▁cell ▁size ▁and ▁morph ology ▁by ▁obtain ing ▁high - quality ▁images ▁over ▁time . ▁These ▁pictures ▁will ▁typically ▁contain ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁cells , ▁but ▁algorithms ▁can ▁be ▁applied ▁to ▁identify ▁and ▁track ▁individual ▁cells ▁across ▁multiple ▁images . ▁The ▁algorithms ▁must ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁process ▁gig aby tes ▁of ▁data ▁to ▁remove ▁noise ▁and ▁summar ize ▁the ▁relevant ▁characteristics ▁for ▁the ▁given ▁research ▁question . ▁ ▁Vari ation ▁in ▁cell ▁cycle ▁Ind ividual ▁cells ▁in ▁a ▁population ▁will ▁often ▁be ▁at ▁different ▁points ▁in ▁the ▁cell ▁cycle . ▁Scient ists ▁who ▁wish ▁to ▁understand ▁characteristics ▁of ▁the ▁cell ▁at ▁a ▁particular ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁cycle ▁would ▁have ▁difficulty ▁using ▁population - level ▁estimates , ▁since ▁they ▁would ▁average ▁measurements ▁from ▁cells ▁at ▁different ▁stages . ▁Also , ▁understanding ▁the ▁cell ▁cycle ▁in ▁individual ▁dise