Tissue culture

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Flasks containing tissue culture growth medium which provides nourishment to growing cells.

Tissue culture is the growth of tissues or cells separate from the organism. This is typically facilitated via use of a liquid, semi-solid, or solid growth medium, such as broth or agar. Tissue culture commonly refers to the culture of animal cells and tissues, with the more specific term plant tissue culture being used for plants. The term "tissue culture" was coined by American pathologist Montrose Thomas Burrows, M.D.[1]

Historical usage[edit]



Modern usage[edit]

Main article: cell culture
Cultured cells growing in growth medium

In modern usage, tissue culture generally refers to the growth of cells from a tissue from a multicellular organism in vitro. These cells may be cells isolated from a donor organism, "primary cells", or an immortalised cell line. The cells are bathed in a culture medium, which contains essential nutrients and energy sources necessary for the cells' survival.[8] The term tissue culture is often used interchangeably with cell culture

The literal meaning of tissue culture refers to the culturing of tissue pieces, i.e. explant culture.


Plant tissue culture in particular is concerned with the growing of entire plants from small pieces of plant tissue, cultured in medium[9]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Carrel, Alexis and Montrose T. Burrows “Cultivation of Tissues in Vitro and its Technique”; Journal of Experimental Medicine 13 (1911: 387-96)
  2. ^ Steinhardt, E; Israeli, C; and Lambert, R.A. (1913) "Studies on the cultivation of the virus of vaccinia" J. Inf Dis. 13, 294–300
  3. ^ TEDTalks. (2010, January 21). Anthony Atala on growing organs [video file]. Retrieved May 15, 2011 from (http://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_growing_organs_engineering_tissue).
  4. ^ Bonner, J. (1936). "Plant Tissue Cultures from a Hormone Point of View". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 22: 426–430. doi:10.1073/pnas.22.6.426. JSTOR 86579. PMC 1076796Freely accessible. PMID 16588100. 
  8. ^ Martin, Bernice M. "Routine Cell Culture." Tissue Culture Techniques: An Introduction. Boston: Birkhäuser, 1994. 29-30. Print.
  9. ^ Reece, Jane B., Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, and Robert B. Jackson. "Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology." Campbell Biology. 9th ed. San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Cummings, 2011. 860. Print.

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