Biology of Cultured Cells

This chapter seeks to provide a background to aspects of basic cell biology which have specific relevance to cell culture, such as cell–cell adhesion, cell–matrix adhesion and signaling, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Endocrine, paracrine and autocrine signaling and the role of the cytoskeleton in matrix and cell contact signaling are also discussed. The chapter also proposes a likely origin and status for cultured cell lines, and describes their evolution, senescence, transformation, and the development of continuous cell lines.