Cell Diversity (Tissue Culture)

Tissue Culture

Is the growth of cell in a sterile nutrient medium outside an organism

Bioreactor

Is a vessel where cells are placed to produce useful products for us

Conditions needed for tissue growth

Oxygen, nutrients, hormones, correct pH. Optimum temperature, sterile conditions and freedom from competition.

Step 1: Tissue Culture

Cell is obtained.

Plants - meristem (unspecialised cells in tip of root/ shoot)

Animals - stem cell (unspecialised cells from bone marrow/ umbilical cord/ embryo)

Step 2: Tissue Culture

Place the cells on a sterile (free from all living things) nutrient medium

Step 3: Tissue Culture

Incubate at correct temperature

Step 4: Tissue Culture

The cells will divide by mitosis (identical cells will be produced)

Step 5: Tissue Culture

Tissues form

Applications of tissue culture (plants)

1. Micro propagation of plants - exact copies produced, quickly and free from disease.

2. Plants grown on a large scale to extract useful chemicals eg. codeine (painkiller)

Applications of tissue culture (animals)

1. Vaccine production - viruses are grown and are killed or diluted to be used as vaccines

2. Growing human tissue for organ transplants (skin cells)

3. Cancer research

4. IVF

5. Antibody production