Question

Disadvantages of continuous cell cultures include

a. viruses do not reliably infect them.
b. they only grow for a limited number of generations.
c. the expense of preparation.
d. they may be significantly different genetically from the original source animal.
e. they are both expensive and have a limited number of division.

Answer 1

Continuous cell cultures have disadvantages such as limited growth, expense, and potential genetic differences from the original source animal.

Step-by-step explanation:

Continuous cell cultures have several disadvantages:

1. Virus infectivity: In continuous cell cultures, viruses do not reliably infect them, which can limit their use for viral studies.
2. Limited growth: Continuous cell cultures only grow for a limited number of generations, after which their growth ceases due to lack of proper culture media or built-in senescence mechanism.
3. Expense: The expense of preparation for continuous cell cultures can be high because it requires specific equipment and media.
4. Genetic differences: Continuous cell cultures may be significantly different genetically from the original source animal, which can affect the validity of research conducted using these cultures.