What are the differences between organ cultures and cell cultures?

Question

Accepted Answer

Organ culture and cell culture are two types of processes used to grow cells of multicellular organisms artificially, outside of their natural environment

Basis of comparison
Organ culture
Cell culture

Definition

Is the culture of isolate organs under laboratory conditions, generally in vitro
Is the process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions, generally in vitro

Types of cells used

Parts of an organ or a whole organ is cultured in vitro
Cells of multicellular eukaryotes

Applications

Used primarily to

Study of  function, differentiation, and morphogenesis in excised organs or presumptive organs
Maintain structural organization in tissues that are subjected to experimentally diverse environments such as drugs, hormones, or radiation

Used primarily to:

Produce biological compounds
Study basic cell biology and biochemistry, interaction between cell and disease causing agents, and effect of drugs
Determine the basic difference between healthy and cancer cells
Detect and isolate viruses and study their growth and development cycle
Produce vaccines and genetically engineered proteins

Basis of comparison	Organ culture	Cell culture
Definition	Is the culture of isolate organs under laboratory conditions, generally in vitro	Is the process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions, generally in vitro
Types of cells used	Parts of an organ or a whole organ is cultured in vitro	Cells of multicellular eukaryotes
Applications	Used primarily to Study of function, differentiation, and morphogenesis in excised organs or presumptive organs Maintain structural organization in tissues that are subjected to experimentally diverse environments such as drugs, hormones, or radiation	Used primarily to: Produce biological compounds Study basic cell biology and biochemistry, interaction between cell and disease causing agents, and effect of drugs Determine the basic difference between healthy and cancer cells Detect and isolate viruses and study their growth and development cycle Produce vaccines and genetically engineered proteins

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