Читать книгу Principles of Virology, Volume 1 - Jane Flint, S. Jane Flint - Страница 40

The culture of animal cells in the laboratory was initially more of an art than a science, restricted to cells that grew out of organs or tissues maintained in nutrient solutions under sterile conditions. Cells so obtained from living tissues, called primary cells, have a finite life span. Their dependence for growth on natural components in their media such as lymph, plasma, or chicken embryo extracts, and the technical demands of sterile culture prior to the discovery of antibiotics, made reproducible experimentation very difficult. However, by 1955, the work of many investigators had led to a series of important methodological advances. These included the development of defined media optimal for growth of mammalian cells, incorporation of antibiotics into cell culture media, and development of immortal cell lines such as the mouse L and human HeLa cells that are still in widespread use. These advances allowed growth of animal cells in culture to become a routine, reproducible exercise.