Let Me Explain

Development and Aspects of Primary Culture The term primary culture refers to the cells that are directly taken from an organism and cultured for the first time. Once the primary culture is subcultured (meaning cells are transferred to a new culture medium), it is no longer considered a primary culture but becomes a cell line. A cell line consists of multiple cell lineages, which can be either similar or different in their characteristics. Cell Lineage Selection A particular cell lineage can be isolated or selected using techniques like cloning or physical cell separation. A cell strain is a specific lineage of cells derived from a cell line, but it does not have infinite life and eventually dies after dividing a certain number of times. Finite Cell Lines Finite cell lines are those that can only divide a limited number of times before their growth slows and they eventually die. Typically, cells can divide anywhere from 20 to 100 times before they reach their limit, depending on the sp...

  Primary Cell Culture Primary cell culture refers to the culturing techniques that occur after the isolation of cells, but before the first subculture. Primary cultures come from large tissue masses. These cultures may have different types of cells, like fibroblasts , lymphocytes , macrophages , and epithelial cells . Factors for Efficient Primary Cell Culture Embryonic tissues are preferred over adult tissues for primary cultures because: Embryonic cells are easier to disaggregate (break apart). They give more viable cells that grow faster in laboratory conditions ( in vitro ). The amount of cells in primary cultures should be high , because they survive less than cells in subcultures. Tissues need to be processed carefully to minimise damage to the cells. Dead cells must be removed. An appropriate nutrient-rich medium is important for growth. If using serum, it is best to use fetal bovine serum instead of serum from calves or horses. Enzymes used for breaking up tissues s...