Question

Batch cultures are type of suspension culture where

• A. Medium is continuously replaced
• B. A closed system and medium is loaded only at the begining
• C. No depletion of the medium throughout the growth period
• D. Cellular wastes are continuously removed and replaced

Hint:

Think of a Batch culture as a closed flask: everything the cells need is loaded at the start (beginning), and no medium is exchanged until the culture run is complete.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Cell suspension cultures can be maintained using either batch (closed) or continuous (open) cultivation systems, depending on how nutrients are supplied and waste products are managed.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
A batch culture is a closed suspension culture system.
In this system, cells are inoculated into a fixed volume of nutrient medium at the beginning of the cultivation cycle.
As the cells grow and divide, they consume the available nutrients and release metabolic waste products into the medium.
No fresh nutrients are added, and no waste products are removed during the incubation period.
Consequently, the cells undergo a typical growth curve containing lag, exponential, linear, stationary, and decline phases.
Continuous cultures, by contrast, are open systems where fresh medium is continuously added (A) and spent medium containing waste products is continuously removed (D) to keep the cells in a steady state of exponential growth.
Therefore, batch culture is characterized by being a closed system with all nutrients provided solely at the start of the culture run.

Step 3: Final Answer:
This definition matches option (B).