Tissue Culture Tissue fragments from animals or plants are transplanted to an artificial environment where they can continue to thrive and function as part of the biological research technique known as tissue culture. One cell, a group of cells, an entire organ, or a portion of an organ may make up the cultured tissue. In culture, cells can divide, alter their shape, size, or function, engage in specialised activity or collaborate with other cells. Introduction to Culture Media Biological culture media, such as blood serum or tissue extract, chemically defined synthetic media, or a combination of the two may ... Read More

Introduction Environmental biotechnology is biotechnology that is used to understand the environment and is applied to it. Environmental biotechnology may also suggest that one tries to control biological processes for profit. Environmental biotechnology is described as "the development, use, and regulation of biological systems for remediation of contaminated environments (land, air, and water), and for environment-friendly processes (green manufacturing technologies and sustainable development)" by the International Society for Environmental Biotechnology. Definition The simplest definition of environmental biotechnology is "the best use of nature, in the form of plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and algae, to produce renewable energy, food, and nutrients ... Read More

Introduction A growth medium, commonly known as a culture medium, is a solid, liquid, or semi-solid that is intended to foster the growth of a population of microorganisms, cells, or miniature plants, such as the moss Physcomitrella patens, through the process of cell proliferation. Various cell types are grown in various types of medium. Growth Media The two primary categories of growth media are those used in cell culture, which employ certain cell types obtained from plants or animals, and those used in microbiological culture, which are used to grow microorganisms like bacteria or fungi. Nutrient broths and ... Read More

Introduction Only with development of the compound microscope during 17th-century in Europe, cells were first observed. After gazing at a piece of cork and noticing a cell-like structure, Robert Hooke coined the term "cells" (published in Micrographia) in 1665. Nevertheless, the cells were dead and gave no hint to the true overall components of a cell. Just few years later, in 1674, during his investigation of algae, Anton Van Leeuwenhoek became the first to examine live cells. All of this came before the cell theory, which argues that cells are the basic building blocks of life and that they make ... Read More

Introduction Memory cells are long-lived immune cells capable of recognizing foreign particles that they had encountered previously. Memory cells capture the antigen or components of foreign antigen that invades our body and provides protection against them very fast when compared to the initial attack. Antigen exposure and its immune response usually 2 types Initial Exposure – Primary immune response, here the memory does not take part in providing an immune response. Secondary Exposure (when a similar kind or same antigen attacks the immune system) – Here memory cells start initiating the secondary immune response Here the time ... Read More

Introduction Blood plasma is the fluid portion of the blood which is usually transparent and straw-colored. The importance of blood is mainly due to the plasma as it is the one which carries a lot of important material and transports it throughout the body. Plasma is usually isolated as a clear fluid along with the RBC, WBC, and platelets when we centrifuge the blood. RBCs are the heaviest and usually settle down at the bottom of the centrifuge tube, white viscous coat found in the middle contains WBCs and platelets and the upper layer of the tube contains plasma. ... Read More

Introduction Plant growth regulators which are also called plant hormones are the ones that regulate the growth of a plant. These PGRs act as signaling molecules. These PGRs are produced within the plant in extremely low concentrations. These hormones are produced by the cells of a plant and not all regulate the growth of the plant but also determine the formation of other parts of the plant like flowers, leaves, shedding of leaves, development, and ripening of fruits, etc. In short, PGRs control all the physiological processes within the plants. Types of Plant Growth Regulators and their Mode of ... Read More

Introduction Natural killer cells or NK cells are a type of lymphocytes derived from lymphoid stem cells. These are the important components of innate immunity and eliminate pathogens by releasing some chemicals called cytokines which are similar to the ones produced by the T cells. Natural killer cells are indeed the lethal weapons of the immune system. Properties of NK Cells A few properties of NK cells are discussed below − NK cells constitute only 5-10% of the lymphocytes. These NK cells are large granular lymphocytes that contain a large round nucleus when compared to RBC. NK cells ... Read More

Introduction Totipotency is the ability of the cells to give rise to a whole new organism providing appropriate nutritional and environmental conditions. This property of Totipotency is seen in spores and zygotes. In plants, this Totipotency is seen in meristematic cells. In Totipotency, every single cell can form either tissue, an organ, or an entire plant. Due to this property of plants, we can observe tissue regeneration. Molecular Basis of Cellular Totipotency Every organism has almost identical DNA and this genetic material is packaged with the help of histones and other remodeling complexes to form chromosomes or chromatin. This ... Read More

Introduction Lymphocytes are the type of white blood cells in the immune system. These are the main type of cells found in the lymph of a lymphatic system. These constitute about 18-42% of the circulating leukocytes present in the lymph. Usually, lymph contains waste products from the tissues, pathogens from the infected tissues, and also some proteins. Lymphocytes are mainly produced in the bone marrow through mitosis. Some of the cells remain in the bone marrow where as some lymphocytes move to the thymus, a primary lymphoid organ where its maturation occurs. Upon maturation, these cells move to the secondary ... Read More