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Immortalized cell lines are defined as cells that have undergone mutations allowing them to evade cellular senescence and proliferate indefinitely in vitro.
Answer: True
This statement accurately reflects the defining characteristic of immortalized cell lines: their capacity, due to specific mutations, to bypass the normal cellular process of senescence and achieve continuous proliferation in a laboratory setting (in vitro).
Biological immortality is synonymous with the ability of a cell line to divide indefinitely in a laboratory.
Answer: False
Biological immortality is a broader concept referring to organisms or entities that do not age or die naturally. The ability of a cell line to divide indefinitely in vitro is a specific characteristic of immortalized cell lines, not synonymous with biological immortality itself.
Stem cells and immortalized cell lines are biologically identical, differing only in their origin.
Answer: False
While both stem cells and immortalized cell lines possess the capacity for indefinite division, they are not biologically identical. Stem cells are naturally occurring and essential for development and repair, whereas immortalized cell lines are typically derived from somatic cells that have acquired mutations enabling continuous laboratory proliferation.
Cancer cells are considered the in vitro equivalent of immortalized cell lines.
Answer: False
Immortalized cell lines are often considered the in vitro equivalent of naturally occurring cancers because both exhibit uncontrolled proliferation. However, cancer cells are a specific biological manifestation, while immortalized cell lines are a laboratory construct that mimics this characteristic.
The indefinite proliferation of immortalized cell lines is achieved by bypassing normal cell cycle controls through mutations.
Answer: True
The capacity for indefinite proliferation in immortalized cell lines is primarily a result of mutations that circumvent normal cell cycle regulatory mechanisms, such as senescence, thereby allowing continuous division.
The ability to undergo continuous division in vitro is the defining characteristic of an immortalized cell line.
Answer: True
The capacity for continuous division and proliferation indefinitely in a laboratory setting (in vitro) is the fundamental defining characteristic of an immortalized cell line.
What is the fundamental characteristic that defines an immortalized cell line?
Answer: Their capacity to evade cellular senescence and proliferate indefinitely in vitro.
The defining characteristic of an immortalized cell line is its ability to bypass normal cellular senescence and achieve indefinite proliferation in vitro, typically due to acquired mutations.
Which of the following best describes the difference between immortalized cell lines and biological immortality?
Answer: Biological immortality is a broader concept of not aging or dying naturally, distinct from the in vitro proliferation of immortalized cell lines.
Biological immortality pertains to the absence of natural aging and death in organisms, whereas immortalized cell lines specifically refer to cells capable of indefinite division within a laboratory setting (in vitro).
In the context of cell lines, what does 'multiple passages' refer to?
Answer: The process of transferring cells to new culture vessels as they grow.
In cell culture, 'passage' refers to the process of subculturing, where cells are transferred from one culture vessel to another as they proliferate. Multiple passages indicate repeated subculturing over time.
The source describes immortalized cell lines as the 'in vitro equivalent' of what?
Answer: Naturally occurring cancers
Immortalized cell lines are often described as the in vitro equivalent of naturally occurring cancers, as both exhibit uncontrolled proliferation due to genetic alterations.
The original method for creating immortalized cell lines involved inducing mutations using viral genes.
Answer: True
One of the earliest and most common methods for inducing immortality in cell lines involved introducing specific viral genes, which possess the ability to deregulate normal cell cycle controls and promote continuous proliferation.
Hybridoma technology fuses normal somatic cells with cancer cells to produce specific antibodies.
Answer: False
Hybridoma technology involves the fusion of antibody-producing B cells with myeloma (cancerous plasma) cells. This fusion creates hybrid cells (hybridomas) capable of producing specific monoclonal antibodies and proliferating indefinitely.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known to immortalize T lymphocytes.
Answer: False
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known for its ability to immortalize B lymphocytes, a specific type of immune cell, not T lymphocytes.
Telomerase is an enzyme that prevents chromosome shortening, thereby contributing to cellular immortality.
Answer: True
Telomerase is an enzyme that plays a critical role in maintaining telomere length. By adding repetitive DNA sequences to chromosome ends, it prevents the shortening that normally occurs with each cell division, thus contributing to the indefinite proliferative capacity of immortalized cells.
Hybridoma technology generates cell lines capable of continuously producing specific antibodies.
Answer: True
Hybridoma technology is a technique specifically designed to create hybrid cell lines (hybridomas) by fusing antibody-producing B cells with immortal myeloma cells. The resulting hybridomas are capable of continuous antibody production, yielding monoclonal antibodies.
Introducing viral genes is one method used to induce immortality in cell lines.
Answer: True
The introduction of specific viral genes, which possess the capacity to interfere with normal cell cycle regulation, is a well-established method for inducing immortality in cell lines.
Cell lines derived from naturally occurring cancers are considered the oldest method of generating immortalized cell lines.
Answer: True
Isolating cells directly from naturally occurring cancers represents one of the earliest and most direct methods for obtaining immortalized cell lines, leveraging the inherent uncontrolled proliferation characteristic of malignant cells.
The primary function of telomerase in immortalized cells is to repair DNA damage unrelated to chromosome ends.
Answer: False
The primary function of telomerase in immortalized cells is not to repair general DNA damage, but specifically to maintain the length of telomeres (chromosome ends) by adding repetitive DNA sequences, thereby preventing chromosome shortening.
Artificial expression of telomerase is a method used to achieve cell line immortality.
Answer: True
The artificial expression of key proteins involved in cellular longevity, such as telomerase, is a recognized method for inducing or enhancing cell line immortality.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is used to immortalize cells for monoclonal antibody production.
Answer: False
While EBV immortalizes B lymphocytes, monoclonal antibody production is primarily achieved through hybridoma technology, which fuses antibody-producing B cells with myeloma cells.
How do immortalized cell lines achieve their ability to divide without limit?
Answer: Through mutations that bypass normal cell cycle controls and limiters like senescence.
Immortalized cell lines achieve unlimited division by acquiring mutations that circumvent critical cell cycle checkpoints and senescence mechanisms, thereby enabling continuous proliferation.
What type of cell does the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) typically immortalize?
Answer: B lymphocytes
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is known for its specific tropism and ability to immortalize B lymphocytes, a key component of the human immune system.
How does the enzyme telomerase contribute to the immortality of cell lines?
Answer: By adding repetitive DNA sequences to telomeres, preventing chromosome shortening.
Telomerase functions by adding repetitive DNA sequences to the ends of chromosomes (telomeres), thereby counteracting the natural shortening that occurs with each cell division and enabling indefinite proliferation.
Hybridoma technology is used to generate cell lines for what specific purpose?
Answer: Continuously secreting monoclonal antibodies
Hybridoma technology is specifically employed to create cell lines capable of continuously producing monoclonal antibodies, which have wide-ranging applications in diagnostics and therapeutics.
Which of the following is NOT a method mentioned for achieving cell line immortality?
Answer: Culturing cells under extremely low oxygen conditions.
The methods mentioned for achieving cell line immortality include isolating cells from naturally occurring cancers, introducing specific viral genes, and artificial expression of telomerase. Culturing under low oxygen conditions is not listed as a method.
The HeLa cell line, a historical example of an immortalized cell line, was derived from a naturally occurring tumor.
Answer: True
The HeLa cell line, a significant historical example in cell biology research, originated from cervical cancer cells, which represent a naturally occurring tumor.
The HeLa cell line was obtained from Henrietta Lacks in the year 1961.
Answer: False
The HeLa cell line was isolated from Henrietta Lacks in 1951, not 1961. Henrietta Lacks passed away later that same year.
The E1 gene from adenovirus type 5 was used to immortalize the HEK 293 cell line.
Answer: True
The HEK 293 cell line, a widely used model in biological research, was indeed immortalized through the introduction of the E1 gene derived from adenovirus type 5.
The 3T3 cell line is a mouse fibroblast line that originated from a spontaneous mutation.
Answer: True
The 3T3 cell line, a foundational model in cell biology, is a mouse fibroblast line that arose from a spontaneous mutation during its cultivation.
The A549 cell line was derived from healthy lung tissue.
Answer: False
The A549 cell line was derived from a lung tumor, not healthy lung tissue. It is commonly utilized in research pertaining to lung cancer and respiratory diseases.
The Jurkat cell line is derived from a patient diagnosed with leukemia.
Answer: True
The Jurkat cell line, a human T lymphocyte line, was isolated from a patient who had been diagnosed with leukemia.
Vero cells achieve immortality through the introduction of specific viral oncogenes.
Answer: False
The Vero cell line, derived from monkey kidney tissue, acquired its immortal status through spontaneous immortalization, rather than the introduction of viral oncogenes.
The Vero cell line was derived from a human kidney.
Answer: False
The Vero cell line was derived from the kidney tissue of an African green monkey (a type of monkey kidney), not a human kidney.
The HeLa cell line was isolated from Henrietta Lacks, who was 31 years old at the time.
Answer: True
The HeLa cell line was indeed isolated from Henrietta Lacks, who was 31 years old when her cervical cancer cells were taken in 1951.
The Jurkat cell line is a type of cancer cell derived from bone marrow.
Answer: False
The Jurkat cell line is a human T lymphocyte cell line, not derived from bone marrow. It originated from a patient diagnosed with leukemia.
The 3T3 cell line originated from cancerous mouse tissue.
Answer: False
The 3T3 cell line originated from cultured mouse embryo tissue that underwent a spontaneous mutation, not from cancerous mouse tissue.
The HeLa cell line was successfully cultured indefinitely shortly after its isolation in 1951.
Answer: True
Following its isolation in 1951, the HeLa cell line demonstrated remarkable robustness and was successfully cultured indefinitely, marking a significant milestone in cell culture research.
The Vero cell line is known for its derivation from monkey kidney tissue and its spontaneous immortalization.
Answer: True
The Vero cell line, a widely used continuous cell line, is indeed derived from African green monkey kidney tissue and achieved immortality through spontaneous immortalization.
What is a significant historical example of an immortalized cell line derived from a naturally occurring cancer?
Answer: HeLa
The HeLa cell line, derived from cervical cancer, is a historically significant and widely studied example of an immortalized cell line originating from a naturally occurring malignancy.
From whom was the first immortal human cell line, HeLa, obtained?
Answer: Henrietta Lacks
The first immortal human cell line, HeLa, was obtained from Henrietta Lacks, a patient at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
What year was the HeLa cell line isolated from Henrietta Lacks?
Answer: 1951
The HeLa cell line was isolated from Henrietta Lacks in the year 1951.
Which viral gene is specifically mentioned as being used to immortalize the HEK 293 cell line?
Answer: The E1 gene from adenovirus type 5
The HEK 293 cell line was immortalized through the introduction of the E1 gene, which originates from adenovirus type 5.
The 3T3 cell line, a notable example of an immortalized cell line, originated from:
Answer: A spontaneous mutation in cultured mouse embryo tissue
The 3T3 cell line, a well-established model in cell biology, originated from mouse embryo tissue that underwent a spontaneous mutation, leading to its immortalization.
The A549 cell line, commonly used in research, was derived from:
Answer: A lung tumor
The A549 cell line, frequently utilized in respiratory disease research, was derived from a lung tumor.
What medical condition was the patient diagnosed with, from whom the Jurkat cell line was isolated?
Answer: Leukemia
The Jurkat cell line was isolated from a patient diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow.
How did the Vero cell line acquire its immortal status?
Answer: Through spontaneous immortalization.
The Vero cell line, derived from monkey kidney tissue, achieved its immortal status through a process of spontaneous immortalization, without the need for induced genetic modification.
The HeLa cell line's historical significance includes being:
Answer: The first immortal human cell line successfully cultured in a lab.
The HeLa cell line holds significant historical importance as it was the first immortal human cell line to be successfully isolated and cultured indefinitely in a laboratory setting.
What is the function of the E1 gene from adenovirus type 5 in the HEK 293 cell line?
Answer: It regulates the cell cycle, contributing to immortality.
The E1 gene from adenovirus type 5, when introduced into the HEK 293 cell line, plays a role in regulating the cell cycle, which contributes to the cells' ability to achieve immortality.
The Vero cell line is derived from:
Answer: Monkey kidney tissue
The Vero cell line is derived from the kidney tissue of an African green monkey.
The primary benefit of immortalized cell lines in research is their consistent and indefinite availability for studying complex cellular processes.
Answer: True
The indefinite availability of immortalized cell lines provides researchers with a stable and consistent model system, greatly simplifying the investigation of complex cellular functions that might be challenging to study with primary cells due to their limited lifespan.
Cloning immortalized cell lines allows researchers to use genetically identical cells, enhancing experimental reproducibility.
Answer: True
The ability to clone immortalized cell lines generates populations of genetically identical cells. This uniformity is crucial for enhancing the reproducibility of scientific experiments, as it minimizes variability arising from genetic differences between cell donors.
Cellosaurus is a type of cell culture medium used for growing immortalized cells.
Answer: False
Cellosaurus is not a cell culture medium; it is a knowledge resource or database that provides information about cell lines used in research.
Immortalized cell lines are primarily used in the field of astrophysics.
Answer: False
Immortalized cell lines are predominantly utilized in the fields of biochemistry and cell biology for studying cellular processes, not in astrophysics.
Testing the toxicity of compounds is a common application of immortalized cell lines in biotechnology.
Answer: True
In biotechnology, immortalized cell lines serve as valuable tools for various applications, including the assessment of compound and drug toxicity, due to their consistent availability and ease of manipulation.
Primary cells are preferred over immortalized cell lines for experiments requiring long-term, consistent cell populations.
Answer: False
Immortalized cell lines are generally preferred over primary cells for experiments requiring long-term, consistent cell populations due to their indefinite lifespan and stability, whereas primary cells have limited lifespans and can exhibit greater variability.
Immortalized cell lines are useful for producing specific eukaryotic proteins in biotechnology.
Answer: True
Immortalized cell lines are employed in biotechnology for various purposes, including the large-scale production of specific eukaryotic proteins, owing to their capacity for sustained growth and protein synthesis.
Cell lines are valuable because they simplify the study of complex biological systems like mammalian cells.
Answer: True
Cell lines, particularly immortalized ones, are highly valuable as they provide simplified and manageable models for investigating complex biological systems, such as mammalian cells, which would otherwise be difficult to study.
The A549 cell line is commonly used for research into respiratory diseases.
Answer: True
The A549 cell line, derived from a lung tumor, is frequently employed in research focused on lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.
The primary advantage of using immortalized cell lines is their ability to differentiate into various specialized cell types.
Answer: False
The primary advantage of immortalized cell lines lies in their indefinite proliferative capacity and consistent availability, not their ability to differentiate into various specialized cell types, which is more characteristic of stem cells.
Immortalized cell lines are cost-effective because they reduce the need for continuous sourcing of fresh primary cells.
Answer: True
The indefinite propagation of immortalized cell lines makes them a cost-effective resource in research and biotechnology, as it obviates the need for the continuous and often expensive sourcing of primary cells.
Which scientific disciplines primarily benefit from the use of immortalized cell lines?
Answer: Biochemistry and cell biology
Immortalized cell lines are indispensable tools primarily within the disciplines of biochemistry and cell biology, facilitating the study of fundamental cellular processes and molecular mechanisms.
Why are cloned, genetically identical cells from immortalized cell lines advantageous for research?
Answer: They ensure that experimental results are not influenced by genetic variations between different cell donors.
Cloned, genetically identical cells from immortalized lines are advantageous because they eliminate variability due to genetic differences between donors, thereby enhancing the reliability and reproducibility of experimental outcomes.
Which of the following is an application of immortalized cell lines in biotechnology?
Answer: Testing the toxicity of compounds and drugs.
Immortalized cell lines are widely applied in biotechnology, notably for screening and testing the toxicity of various compounds and pharmaceutical drugs in a controlled laboratory environment.
What is the main advantage immortalized cell lines offer over primary cells for research?
Answer: Immortalized cell lines provide a continuous supply due to their indefinite lifespan.
The principal advantage of immortalized cell lines over primary cells is their indefinite lifespan, which ensures a continuous and reliable supply for research, simplifying long-term studies and experiments.
Why are immortalized cell lines considered cost-effective in biotechnology?
Answer: Their indefinite propagation reduces the need for continuous sourcing of fresh cells.
Immortalized cell lines are cost-effective in biotechnology primarily because their ability to propagate indefinitely eliminates the recurring expense and effort associated with sourcing fresh primary cells for experiments.
Why is using primary cells potentially less reliable for experiments compared to immortalized cell lines?
Answer: Primary cells have limited lifespans and can exhibit genetic variability.
Primary cells are often less reliable for experiments requiring consistency due to their limited lifespan and inherent genetic variability between different donors, unlike immortalized cell lines which offer stability and uniformity.
Genetic changes over time in cell lines do not impact experimental results, as they maintain their original characteristics.
Answer: False
Cell lines can undergo genetic alterations through multiple passages. These changes can lead to phenotypic differences, potentially affecting experimental outcomes and compromising the reliability of results if not carefully monitored.
Cell line cross-contamination is a rare issue and does not significantly affect research findings.
Answer: False
Cell line cross-contamination is a common and significant problem in biomedical research. It can lead to misidentification of cell lines and consequently, inaccurate or misleading research findings.
The scanning electron micrograph of HeLa cells shows cells undergoing apoptosis.
Answer: True
The scanning electron micrograph of HeLa cells provided in the source material depicts a cell undergoing apoptosis, which is the process of programmed cell death.
Hoechst 33258 is a stain used to visualize the cytoplasm in HeLa cells.
Answer: False
Hoechst 33258 is a fluorescent dye specifically used to stain and visualize DNA, not cytoplasm. In the context of HeLa cell imaging, it is used in conjunction with microscopy techniques to observe nuclear material.
Mutations enabling immortality in cell lines never alter the cell's original biological behavior.
Answer: False
The mutations that confer immortality upon cell lines can significantly alter their original biological behavior. Researchers must be cognizant of these alterations, as they may impact the validity of experimental findings.
Cell lines that have undergone multiple passages are guaranteed to remain genetically identical to their original state.
Answer: False
Cell lines are not guaranteed to remain genetically identical after multiple passages. Genetic drift and accumulation of mutations can occur over time, leading to changes in their characteristics and potential variability in experimental results.
Cell line contamination often involves the overgrowth of normal cells by more aggressive cancer cell types.
Answer: True
A common scenario in cell line contamination involves the proliferation of more aggressive cell types, frequently derived from cancerous origins, which can outcompete and overgrow the intended cell line.
The HeLa cell line was obtained from Henrietta Lacks without her knowledge or consent.
Answer: True
A significant ethical consideration surrounding the HeLa cell line is that it was obtained from Henrietta Lacks without her explicit knowledge or informed consent at the time of its collection.
The second image of HeLa cells uses Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy to visualize the cells.
Answer: True
The source indicates that the second image of HeLa cells employs Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy, a technique that enhances contrast and resolution, particularly for unstained biological samples.
Cell lines derived from naturally occurring cancers are less valuable for research than those created artificially.
Answer: False
Cell lines derived from naturally occurring cancers are highly valuable for research, representing a direct model of disease. Their value is not inherently less than artificially created immortalized lines; both serve distinct but important research purposes.
Misidentification due to cell line contamination has led to incorrect research findings in numerous cases.
Answer: True
Cell line misidentification, often resulting from cross-contamination, is a significant issue that has demonstrably led to erroneous research findings across various scientific disciplines.
What is a significant limitation associated with the mutations that confer immortality upon cell lines?
Answer: The mutations can significantly alter the cell's original biology and behavior.
A key limitation is that the genetic mutations conferring immortality can substantially alter the cell's original biological characteristics and behavior, which researchers must consider when interpreting experimental results.
What is a common and serious problem in biomedical research related to cell lines?
Answer: Overgrowth by more aggressive cell types, leading to contamination.
Cell line cross-contamination, often involving the overgrowth by more aggressive cell types, is a frequent and serious issue that can compromise the integrity of biomedical research.
The source mentions examples of cell line contamination. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a misidentification?
Answer: Monkey kidney cells identified as human T lymphocytes
The source details instances of misidentification such as thyroid cells as melanoma, prostate cultures as bladder cancer, and normal uterine cultures as breast cancer. Monkey kidney cells identified as human T lymphocytes was not among the examples provided.
The second image of HeLa cells shows DNA visualized using which combination?
Answer: Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy and Hoechst 33258 stain
The second image of HeLa cells utilizes Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy in conjunction with the Hoechst 33258 stain to visualize the DNA within the cells.
Which of the following is a potential consequence of genetic changes occurring in cell lines over multiple passages?
Answer: Phenotypic differences leading to varied experimental outcomes.
Genetic alterations accumulated over multiple passages can lead to phenotypic divergence within a cell line, resulting in varied and potentially inconsistent experimental outcomes.
What does the scanning electron micrograph of HeLa cells depict?
Answer: A HeLa cell undergoing apoptosis (programmed cell death).
The scanning electron micrograph of HeLa cells provided in the source material illustrates a cell undergoing apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death.