No, a cultured cell does not go to concerts or view art works or read classical pieces. Rather, a cultured cell is one that is kept in a controlled condition in the laboratory.
Yes, cells are found not only inside the body of an organism but can also be found outside. They can be removed from the organism’s body and cultured in the laboratory. Here they are kept alive for long periods of time where they can even grow and produce more cells.
In fact, the first ever group of cultured cells, the so called HeLa cells, have survived their owner. Henrietta Lacks died a long time ago but her cells (actually taken from her tumor) are still living today in various laboratories. These cells are now being used for various medical researches in cancer, drug tests, cosmetic tests, and many others. For example, Jonas Salk used HeLa cells when he developed and tested the polio vaccine.
No comments:
Post a Comment