Basic Techniques in Animal Cell Culture

One of the characteristics of most animals is that they are multicellular−in other words− they are composed of many cells. With this multicellularity comes the specialization of cells. In a multicellular organism, each cell does not have to carry out all the activities necessary for the life of the organism. Although most cells of any higher organism have many organelles and metabolic pathways in common, each cell is also unique in expressing some of these components to an enhanced degree in order to fulfill a specific function within the organism. Each cell type has its own role−to secrete a specific product, to contract, to transmit an electrical impulse, and so on. The result of this cellular specialization is that animals consist of a number of different types of cells each with a characteristic size, shape, structure and function. Such cells are said to have differentiated. A vertebrate has more than 100 different types of cells. These cells associated in very organized patterns to perform specialized functions.