MOL100H23 Lecture6 - studying cells

Cell culture

The process of growing and maintaining cells in a controlled environment outside of their natural habitat.

Bacterial cells

Single-celled organisms that can be easily grown in dishes containing a jelly-like material called agar.

Growth medium

A substance that provides the necessary nutrients for cells to grow and thrive.

Agar

A jelly-like material made of polysaccharides that is used as a solidifying agent in growth media for bacterial cells.

Animal cells

Cells derived from animals that are grown on plastic dishes or in flasks in a complex culture medium.

Culture medium

A nutrient-rich solution that provides the necessary nutrients for cells to grow and survive in a laboratory setting.

Serum

The liquid part of blood that contains growth factors and is often added to culture media to support the growth of animal cells.

Primary cells

Cells that have been isolated directly from tissue and have a limited lifespan.

Cell line

Immortal cells that are derived from primary cells and can be continuously grown and maintained in culture.

Passaging

The process of transferring cells from one culture vessel to another to prevent the accumulation of toxic and infectious substances.

Hydrogel

A three-dimensional network of hydrophilic polymers that can be used as a scaffold for growing cells into tissue-like structures.

Microscopy

The use of microscopes to visualize and study objects that are too small to be seen with the naked eye.

Light microscopy

A type of microscopy that uses visible light to illuminate and magnify specimens.

Electron microscopy

A type of microscopy that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate and magnify specimens.

Brightfield microscopy

A type of light microscopy where the specimen is illuminated by a light source and observed directly.

Resolution

The ability of a microscope to distinguish between two closely spaced objects as separate entities.

Magnification

The ability of a microscope to enlarge the size of a specimen.

Histological stains

Chemical dyes that bind to specific structures in cells and tissues to enhance their visibility under a microscope.

Fluorescence microscopy

A type of microscopy that uses fluorescent dyes or proteins to label specific molecules in a sample.

Immunofluorescence microscopy

A technique that uses fluorescently labeled antibodies to detect specific proteins in a sample.

Confocal laser scanning microscopy

A type of fluorescence microscopy that uses a laser to excite fluorescent molecules and a pinhole to eliminate out-of-focus light.

FRAP (Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching)

A technique used to study the mobility of proteins in living cells by bleaching a small region and observing the recovery of fluorescence over time.

FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer)

A technique used to determine the proximity of two proteins by exciting one fluorescent protein with another fluorescent protein.

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)

A method that separates different cells by illuminating them with a laser and measuring the emission of fluorescent light.

Electron microscopy (EM)

A technique that uses electron beams instead of light to achieve higher resolution images.

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

A type of electron microscopy where samples are processed into thin sections and stained with heavy metals to enhance electron density differences.

Cryo-electron microscopy

A method of electron microscopy where samples are rapidly frozen and imaged at very low temperatures to maintain the native protein structure.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

A type of electron microscopy that visualizes the surface of a sample by coating it with a thin layer of metal and emitting electrons from the coated sample.