IR spectra and IR spectral maps of individual normal and cancerous cells.

The IR microspectra for individual normal and cancerous cells are reported at a spatial resolution that permits a distinction between the nuclear and cytoplasmic regions. The observed spectra reveal large differences in the spectral contributions of RNA, DNA, and phospholipids: metabolically inactive cells show spectral patterns of proteins only, whereas actively dividing cells also show spectral signatures of nucleic acids and phospholipids. These spectral variations are independent of the state of health of a cell.