Flash Cards: Animal Cell Culture

Animal cell culture is the in vitro maintenance and proliferation of animal cells outside their natural environment, provided with appropriate nutrients and growth conditions.

Cell culture refers to the process of growing cells in a controlled, artificial environment, usually in a laboratory setting.

Contamination is a concern because animal cells grow slowly; even a few bacteria can quickly outgrow the cell population, affecting culture viability.

Key requirements include regulated temperature, proper substrate for cell attachment, and specific pH and osmolality in the growth medium.

George Gey established the first human cell line, known as HeLa, from cervical cancer cells of patient Henrietta Lacks in the 1950s.

Primary cell cultures are obtained directly from host tissues and contain heterogeneous cells similar to their parental cells.

Adherent cultures grow attached to a solid surface, while suspension cultures float freely in the culture medium.

Serum provides essential nutrients, growth factors, and proteins, helping cells to adhere and grow in culture.

Cryopreservation is the process of preserving cells by cooling them to sub-zero temperatures, often using cryoprotective agents.

Subculturing, or passaging, is transferring cells from one culture vessel to another to prevent overcrowding and maintain healthy cell growth.

Maintaining the correct pH is critical for optimal cell function, as it affects cellular metabolism and growth.

Culture media can be natural (like serum-based) or synthetic (like defined media) tailored for specific cell types.

A CO2 incubator maintains a constant temperature and CO2 environment suitable for the culture of mammalian cells.

Cell viability is often measured using dye exclusion assays (e.g., trypan blue) or metabolic assays (e.g., MTT assay).

Growth factors are proteins that stimulate cell growth, differentiation, and survival, playing a critical role in cell culture.

Aseptic techniques prevent contamination by harmful microorganisms, ensuring the integrity and reliability of cell cultures.

Animal cell culture allows for controlled study of cellular processes, making it valuable for research and biopharmaceutical production.

Phenol red is commonly used as a pH indicator in culture media, changing color with pH shifts.