Cell Culture and Isolation of Paramecium using Hay Infusion Soup and Skimmed Milk
INTRODUCTION
Cell isolation and culture are essential tools for the life sciences today specifically in the study of cell function. Isolated cells grown under controlled conditions can be manipulated and imaged at a level of resolution under the microscope, that is not possible in whole animals or even tissue explants (Zhang and Kuhn, 2011). In its simplest form, cell culture involves the dispersal of cells in an artificial environment composed of nutrient solutions, a suitable surface to support the growth of cells, and ideal conditions of temperature, humidity, and gaseous atmosphere (Christman, 2011). In such a system, a researcher can precisely measure the response of the cell’s alterations in
behavior, metabolic activity, regulation, gene expressions and other features.
Ciliates, as cited by Amanchi (2010), are used as test organisms in laboratory experiments because of their ubiquitous distribution, high reproductive rate, ease of culturing and accessibility of experimental manipulation. Paramecium are ciliate protozoan, the whole body is covered with cilia, which help the organisms to swim forward, backward and turn (Kimbal, 2003). They are shaped like prolate spheroids of 250mm length. It generally feed on bacteria, other small cells, yeast or small alga (Roberts, et. al. 2003). According to Guiffre, et. al. (2011), a sensory apparatus allows the paramecium in detecting temperature, light, and a variety of attracting and repelling chemical substances. Their one complex cell, a eukaryote, conducts all of the organism 's basic functions. It doesn 't divide work between different tissues or cells like an animal. Instead, each Paramecium is capable of an aerobic exchange, similar to breathing, reproducing asexually by cell division, ingesting nutrients, and expelling waste (Todar, 2009). This study aimed to isolate pure culture of Paramecium; to evaluate the morphological effects of exposing Euphorbia milii sap to
Cell isolation and culture are essential tools for the life sciences today specifically in the study of cell function. Isolated cells grown under controlled conditions can be manipulated and imaged at a level of resolution under the microscope, that is not possible in whole animals or even tissue explants (Zhang and Kuhn, 2011). In its simplest form, cell culture involves the dispersal of cells in an artificial environment composed of nutrient solutions, a suitable surface to support the growth of cells, and ideal conditions of temperature, humidity, and gaseous atmosphere (Christman, 2011). In such a system, a researcher can precisely measure the response of the cell’s alterations in
behavior, metabolic activity, regulation, gene expressions and other features.
Ciliates, as cited by Amanchi (2010), are used as test organisms in laboratory experiments because of their ubiquitous distribution, high reproductive rate, ease of culturing and accessibility of experimental manipulation. Paramecium are ciliate protozoan, the whole body is covered with cilia, which help the organisms to swim forward, backward and turn (Kimbal, 2003). They are shaped like prolate spheroids of 250mm length. It generally feed on bacteria, other small cells, yeast or small alga (Roberts, et. al. 2003). According to Guiffre, et. al. (2011), a sensory apparatus allows the paramecium in detecting temperature, light, and a variety of attracting and repelling chemical substances. Their one complex cell, a eukaryote, conducts all of the organism 's basic functions. It doesn 't divide work between different tissues or cells like an animal. Instead, each Paramecium is capable of an aerobic exchange, similar to breathing, reproducing asexually by cell division, ingesting nutrients, and expelling waste (Todar, 2009). This study aimed to isolate pure culture of Paramecium; to evaluate the morphological effects of exposing Euphorbia milii sap to
References: 2. Campbell, N.A., et. al. 2008. Biology 3. Christman, M. 2011. What is cell culture? Coriell Institute for Medical Research 4. Giuffre, C., et. al. 2011. Ciliated Paramecium Shows Higher Motility in Non-Uniform Chemical Landscapes. 5. Kimball, J.W. 2003. The Ciliate Protozoans 6. Kuhn, J. and Zhang, S. 2011. Cell Isolation and Culture 7. Roberts, C.E, et. al. 1995. Microbiology: A Human Perspective 8. Todar, K. 2009. Introduction to the Cell Microbial World.