Final answer:
Serum in cell culture offers essential nutrients like amino acids, growth factors, vitamins, and DNA synthesis precursors, vital for the growth and maintenance of animal cells. The correct option is C.
Step-by-step explanation:
The factors necessary for the growth of animal cells in culture that are provided by serum include amino acids, growth factors, vitamins, and precursors of DNA synthesis.
Serum is a highly complex mixture that provides essential nutrients and substances for sustaining a culture, such as glucose, proteins (like albumin, macroglobulin, fibronectin), hormones (like insulin, growth hormone, and thyroid hormones), minerals (like Na, K, Cl), trace elements (such as Fe, Zn, Cu), and lipids.
These components contribute to the cell's nourishment, hormonal regulation, and biochemical processes, which are pivotal for cell division, maturation, and overall development. The correct option is C.