Cell Culture

Cell culture is the process that cells are grown under controlled conditions, mainly outside their natural environment. The target cells have been isolated from living tissue, they can subsequently be maintained under carefully controlled conditions. These conditions generally consist of a suitable vessel with a substrate or medium that supplies the essential nutrients, growth factors, hormones, and gases, and regulates the physio-chemical environment. Most of cells need to a surface or an artificial substrate while others can be grown free floating in culture medium. The lifespan of most cells is genetically determined, but some cell culturing cells have been “transformed” into immortal cells which will reproduce indefinitely if the optimal conditions are provided. Practically, the term “cell culture” now means culturing of cells derived from multicellular eukaryotes, especially animal cells, in contrast with other types of culture that also grow cells, such as plant tissue culture, fungal culture, and microbiological culture). The historical and methods of cell culture are developed closely to those of tissue culture and organ culture. Viral culture is also included; which cells are hosts of the viruses.