2
E . N . W I L L M E R
The problems which arise in Tissue Culture* of animal material are
in many ways different from those which arise when tissues from the
higher plants are cultured. In general, they are more complex. Each
cell from a higher animal is probably rather more dependent upon the
presence of the whole of the rest of the animal than the individual cell
of a higher plant normally is on the rest of the plant. As a rule, the whole
animal must necessarily be present in order that the local environment
of each of its constituent cells shall be properly stabilized. If animal
cells or tissues are isolated, they have to be provided with a system by
which their normal surroundings are very closely imitated. Thus the
provision of these local environments of tissue cells in animals is a sine
qua non for successful cultures. The viability of the cells of higher plants
is probably much less dependent on an elaborate system controlling
their environments, and the cells and tissues of higher plants survive in
media that are relatively much more simple than those required by
animal cells.
Animal cells and tissues also rely on defence mechanisms against
infection by bacterial and other invading organisms, which are themselves dependent on the whole body remaining more or less intact, so
that leucocytes, macrophages and antibodies can circulate freely from
their places of origin to the sites of invasion. Plant cells and tissues are
much more resistant in themselves and less dependent on a circulatory
system for their defence.
The tissues from higher plants grow reasonably well in an organized
way (cf. organ culture) so long as they are given the necessary salts,
water and light. On the other hand, extensive outgrowth of normal
plant cells in an unorganized way, like that which can now be fairly
readily obtained in animal cell and tissue cultures, is, rather surprisingly, much more difficult to achieve, and has only been accomplished comparatively recently, and its applications are, at present, still
somewhat limited.
In the light of these observations and in view of the applications of
Tissue Culture to problems of human physiology and medicine it will be
readily appreciated that most of this book must inevitably be devoted
to Tissue Culture of animal material and the special problems of Plant
Tissue Culture are confined to a relatively small section in Vol. 3.
L. Loeb, in 1897, was the first to maintain the cells of blood, connective tissues and some other tissues outside the body in a viable
condition for any length of time and can thus be said to have taken the
first steps in Tissue Culture. He used small tubes of serum or plasma.
It was, however, Ross G. Harrison, in 1907, who, when working at
*Tissue Culture (with capital letters) will be used generally to include cell culture, tissue
culture and organ culture.
E . N . W I L L M E R
The problems which arise in Tissue Culture* of animal material are
in many ways different from those which arise when tissues from the
higher plants are cultured. In general, they are more complex. Each
cell from a higher animal is probably rather more dependent upon the
presence of the whole of the rest of the animal than the individual cell
of a higher plant normally is on the rest of the plant. As a rule, the whole
animal must necessarily be present in order that the local environment
of each of its constituent cells shall be properly stabilized. If animal
cells or tissues are isolated, they have to be provided with a system by
which their normal surroundings are very closely imitated. Thus the
provision of these local environments of tissue cells in animals is a sine
qua non for successful cultures. The viability of the cells of higher plants
is probably much less dependent on an elaborate system controlling
their environments, and the cells and tissues of higher plants survive in
media that are relatively much more simple than those required by
animal cells.
Animal cells and tissues also rely on defence mechanisms against
infection by bacterial and other invading organisms, which are themselves dependent on the whole body remaining more or less intact, so
that leucocytes, macrophages and antibodies can circulate freely from
their places of origin to the sites of invasion. Plant cells and tissues are
much more resistant in themselves and less dependent on a circulatory
system for their defence.
The tissues from higher plants grow reasonably well in an organized
way (cf. organ culture) so long as they are given the necessary salts,
water and light. On the other hand, extensive outgrowth of normal
plant cells in an unorganized way, like that which can now be fairly
readily obtained in animal cell and tissue cultures, is, rather surprisingly, much more difficult to achieve, and has only been accomplished comparatively recently, and its applications are, at present, still
somewhat limited.
In the light of these observations and in view of the applications of
Tissue Culture to problems of human physiology and medicine it will be
readily appreciated that most of this book must inevitably be devoted
to Tissue Culture of animal material and the special problems of Plant
Tissue Culture are confined to a relatively small section in Vol. 3.
L. Loeb, in 1897, was the first to maintain the cells of blood, connective tissues and some other tissues outside the body in a viable
condition for any length of time and can thus be said to have taken the
first steps in Tissue Culture. He used small tubes of serum or plasma.
It was, however, Ross G. Harrison, in 1907, who, when working at
*Tissue Culture (with capital letters) will be used generally to include cell culture, tissue
culture and organ culture.