CELL LINES

When the primary culture is first

subcultured or passaged then it becomes
cell line.
TYPES OF CELL LINES
 FINITE CELL LINES :- Normal cell usually divide
only a limited number of times before loosing their
ability to proliferate which is a genetically determined
event known senescence these type of cell lines are
known as finite cell lines

 CONTINUOUS CELL LINES :- When a finite cell

line undergoes transformation and acquires the
ability to divide indefinitely then it is known as
continuous cell lines.

 TRANSFORMED CELL LINE:- It is defined as the

conversion of a normal healthy into a tumorous or a
cancerous cell
CHARACTERISTCS OF CONTINUOUS
CELL LINE
 Smaller, more rounded ,less adherent with a
higher nucleus/cytoplasm ratio.
 Fast growth .

 Reduced anchorage dependence and grow more

in suspension condition.
 Ability to grow up to higher cell density.

 Different in phenotype from donor tissue.

 Stop expressing tissue specific gene.

 Homogeneous cell population.

 Serially propagated in culture showing an

increased growth.
EXAMPLES OF CONTINUOUS CELL LINE
CELL MORPHOL ORIGIN SPECIES AGE CHARACTERIS
LINE OGY TICS
A2780 Epithelial Ovary Human Adult Chemosensitive
with resistant
variants

Vero Fibroblast Kidney Monkey Adult Viral substrate

and assay

IMR- Fibroblast Lung Human Embryo Susceptible to

90 nic human viral
infection
WI-38 Fibroblast Lung Human Embryo Susceptible to
nic human viral
infection