Cell culture techniques encompass the cultivation of primary cells, secondary cells, and cell lines, each with unique characteristics and applications. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for selecting the appropriate cell type for specific research and development purposes.
Fremont, CA: Cell culture is a fundamental technique used to isolate and grow cells of interest in laboratory settings. While the term "cell" often refers to mammalian cells, the principles of cell culture also apply to prokaryotes and other eukaryotic cells. This article delves into the key types of cells used in cell culture: primary cells, secondary cells, and cell lines.
Primary Cells
Primary cells are individual cells isolated directly from tissue sections, which are fragmented or degraded by enzymes. These cells are cultivated under ideal conditions, including specific temperature, pH, and carbon dioxide-to-oxygen ratios, and consume nutrients and growth factors present in the culture media.
Non-cancerous primary cells tend to grow slowly. Once these cells reach about 80% confluence, they are subcultured or passaged to allow continued division. Most primary cells have a limited lifespan and can only divide a certain number of times before undergoing senescence. However, cancerous primary cells can be subcultured indefinitely.
Primary cells are considered the most accurate representation of the original tissue because of their diverse genetic and phenotypic identities. This diversity stems from the varied cell composition in tissue sections. However, as primary cells are passaged, their identities may become more homogenous if one cell type outgrows the others.
