what are the factors that affect the pH of the culture media and how it maintain is pH?
Answers
The term “pH” is derived from either “pondus hydrogenii” or “potentia hydrogenii”. Both are originally Latin phrases, with “pondus hydrogenii” meaning “weight of hydrogen” and “potentia hydrogenii” meaning “power of hydrogen”. The pH value is a non-dimensional number that measures how acidic or alkaline an aqueous solution is. It is defined as the negative decimal logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions. The strength of the acid or alkali is identified by color indicators.
Every cellular process has an ideal pH at which it functions best. If the process deviates from this ideal pH value, it can lead to conformational enzyme changes that impair function, resulting in effects that are as severe as those caused by extreme temperature changes. If the process deviates drastically from the ideal pH value, it can even cause damage to the DNA’s secondary structure, α-helix, and β-pleated sheet, leading to irreversible denaturation.
In order for cells to grow well, it is therefore vital that the culture medium has a stable pH value. Most mammalian cells feel right at home at a pH value of 7.4. Transformed cell lines prefer slightly lower pH values of 7.0 to 7.4 while normal fibroblast cell lines have a preference for slightly alkaline pH values of between 7.4 and 7.7.