The basic unit of life is the
The basic unit of life is the cell, and now in a modernlaboratory even mammalian cells can be easily cultured in a testtube or a flask. In this unit you have learned about thebiomolecules of life such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins andnucleic acids which come together to allow cells to form andfunction. You are required to design a cell culture medium formaintaining mammalian cells, what are your key considerations?(hint: you need to describe the key nutrients and the underlyingreason for them, and the pH of your medium).
Answer:
Growing mammalian cells in a lab isa tedious process and defining its growth media is more complex.Defining a growth medium requires the knowledge of the cell type,cultural environment in which cells grow. Apart from basic growthrequirements specific cell lines need different hormones or growthfactors to perform a particular function.
Basic cell culture componentsrequirements.
- Glucose- It acts as a primary carbon source andcan be utilised in glycolysis to form ATP and fulfill the energyrequirement.
- pH- Medium should be maintained at 7.4 pH as mostof the protein exists in a zwitter ionic form. Most of the Culturemedium components are more stable at neutral pH.
- Salt- Generally used as ionic balance and some areused as buffering agents.
Sodiumchloride, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium sulphate, Calcium nitratemaintain ionic balance as well as fulfill cofactor requirements forproteins. where Sodium Bicarbonate acts as a buffering agent andmaintains the pH at 7.4.
- Amino acids- All essential and nonessential aminoacids should be simply supplemented in a culture medium for thesynthesis of proteins.
- Vitamins- All vitamins should be added in aculture medium but the more essentials are vitamin B complex thatare generally required as cofactors in proteins and someintermediates in other biological processes.
- Serum- Cell division requires growth factors andother components that are supplemented by serum. Fetal bovine serumare effective replacements for these factors.
- Antibiotics- Cell lines are prone to contaminationand we have to add antibiotics to stop growth of bacteria,mycoplasma and fungi.
The aboveseven are the key components of the basic requirement for cultureof mammalian cells in the lab.
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