Article
Article
Cell culture
Article By:
Kallio, R. E. School of Life Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.
Last reviewed:April 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.173000
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The cultivation of cells in the laboratory. Cell culture is the growth of living cells or microorganisms in a controlled artificial environment. Bacteria and yeasts may be grown suspended in a liquid medium or as colonies on a solid medium (usually solidified by 1.5–2.5% agar); molds grow on moist surfaces; and animal and plant cells (tissue cultures; Fig. 1) usually adhere to the glass or plastic beneath a liquid medium. Cell cultures must provide sources of energy and raw material for biosynthesis, as well as a suitable physical environment. See also: Agar; Bacteria; Bacterial growth; Cell (biology); Cell biology; Microbiology; Tissue culture; Yeast
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