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Examination of a Lognormal Distribution Equation for Describing Distributions of Diameters of Bovine Adipocytes¹

Iowa State University, Ames 50011

³ Dept. of Biochem. and Biophys. and Nutritional Physiology Group, Dept. of Anim. Sci.; to whom reprint requests should be addressed.

Abstract

Samples of subcutaneous, intermuscular and mesenteric adipose tissues from beef steers were fixed with osmium tetroxide, and freed adipocytes were counted with an automatic particle counter to determine whether a lognormal distribution function would describe adipocyte size distributions more accurately than a normal distribution function. Modes and medians of size distributions generally were larger than means for adipocyte size distributions modeled with a lognormal distribution function. Normalized third and fourth moments of predicted lognormal distributions often were close to 0 and 3, respectively, which are expected values for a normally distributed population. Considerable variation was observed in the skewness of adipocyte size distributions. Both normal and lognormal models for adipocyte size distribution yielded similar means. The lognormal model yielded a greater standard deviation than the normal model for adipocyte size distributions. Smaller chi-square values were found for size distributions modeled with a lognormal than with a normal distribution function. Results suggest that a lognormal distribution function more accurately models the size distributions of bovine adipocytes.

¹ Journal Paper No. J-10014 of the Iowa Agr. and Home Econ. Exp. Sta., Ames. Project No. 2187. This work was supported in part by funds from the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Ames 50010.

² Present address: Dept. of Pathol., Univ. of Alabama Medical Center, Birmingham 35294.

⁴ Present address: Dept. of Anim. Ind., Univ. of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 00708.

⁵ Present address: Dept. of Anim. Sci., Auburn Univ., Auburn 36830.

⁶ Nutritional Physiology Group, Dept. of Anim. Sci.