Tissue culture

Tissue culture is the growth of cells or tissues outside an organism in a controlled laboratory environment. It enables biological material to be maintained, studied, or propagated under defined conditions.

Cell culture: The maintenance and growth of cells outside an organism in a controlled environment. It is the cell-level form of tissue culture, often using dispersed cells rather than intact tissue.
Plant tissue culture: The growth of plant cells, tissues, or organs under sterile, controlled laboratory conditions. It applies tissue culture to regenerate plants and multiply selected varieties.
Stem cell: An unspecialized cell capable of self-renewal and differentiation into one or more specialized cell types. Stem cells can generate and maintain many of the cell types grown in tissue culture.
Wilhelm Roux: A German embryologist whose experiments helped establish experimental embryology. His 1885 work on an isolated frog embryo helped inspire attempts to maintain tissue outside the body.
In vitro: A description of biological processes studied outside a living organism, typically in laboratory vessels. Tissue culture is a major in vitro method, distinct from experiments conducted within whole organisms.
Culture medium: A nutrient solution or gel that supports the growth of cells or microorganisms. Its nutrients, salts, and growth factors supply cultured tissue with conditions for survival.
Micropropagation: The rapid production of many plants from small amounts of plant tissue in vitro. It uses plant tissue culture to produce large numbers of genetically similar plants.
Extracellular matrix: The network of proteins and other molecules surrounding cells in tissues. Matrix composition provides cultured cells with physical support and biochemical cues.
Ross Granville Harrison: An American biologist who demonstrated the growth of nerve fibers in tissue culture. His 1907 experiments are widely regarded as the beginning of modern animal tissue culture.
In vivo: A description of biological processes occurring within a living organism. Cultured tissue can reveal cellular mechanisms, but it may not reproduce interactions in vivo.

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