Applications of cell cultures in research MCQs With Answer

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Cell cultures are foundational tools in modern pharmaceutical research, enabling B. Pharm students to explore in vitro models for drug development, pharmacology, toxicology, biotechnology and cell-based assays. Understanding applications of cell cultures in research helps students design experiments, interpret preclinical data, and apply Good Cell Culture Practice (GCCP) for reproducible results. Key topics include primary cultures vs. cell lines, 2D and 3D cultures, stem cell applications, contamination control, cryopreservation, transfection, and assay selection for ADME and toxicity screening. This guide provides focused, exam-oriented MCQs to deepen conceptual understanding and practical skills. Now let’s test your knowledge with 50 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. What is the primary advantage of using immortalized cell lines over primary cultures in drug screening?

  • Higher genetic stability
  • Longer lifespan and easy maintenance
  • Closer resemblance to in vivo tissue
  • Lower risk of contamination

Correct Answer: Longer lifespan and easy maintenance

Q2. Which component of cell culture media is essential for buffering pH under CO2 incubation?

  • Glucose
  • HEPES
  • Sodium bicarbonate
  • Insulin

Correct Answer: Sodium bicarbonate

Q3. What is the main purpose of trypsinization during adherent cell culture passaging?

  • To provide nutrients
  • To detach cells from the culture surface
  • To sterilize the culture
  • To induce differentiation

Correct Answer: To detach cells from the culture surface

Q4. Which assay is commonly used to assess cell metabolic activity as a proxy for viability?

  • Western blot
  • MTT assay
  • ELISA for cytokines
  • Flow cytometry for surface markers

Correct Answer: MTT assay

Q5. Mycoplasma contamination in cell cultures is problematic because:

  • It causes visible turbidity in media
  • It alters cellular metabolism and experimental outcomes
  • It always kills the host cells immediately
  • It is easy to detect microscopically

Correct Answer: It alters cellular metabolism and experimental outcomes

Q6. Cryopreservation of cell lines typically uses which cryoprotectant?

  • Sodium chloride
  • Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)
  • Glutamine
  • Trypsin

Correct Answer: Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)

Q7. Which technique is used to introduce plasmid DNA into cultured mammalian cells?

  • Western blotting
  • Transfection
  • ELISA
  • Chromatography

Correct Answer: Transfection

Q8. In 3D cell culture, spheroids are particularly useful for modeling:

  • Single-cell metabolism only
  • Tissue-like gradients and tumor microenvironments
  • Purely suspension cell growth
  • Only bacterial infections

Correct Answer: Tissue-like gradients and tumor microenvironments

Q9. What is a key ethical consideration when using primary human cells in research?

  • Cost of reagents
  • Donor consent and privacy
  • Choice of incubator brand
  • Temperature of room lighting

Correct Answer: Donor consent and privacy

Q10. Which parameter is most commonly used to monitor bacterial contamination in cell cultures?

  • pH color change and turbidity
  • Increased cell viability
  • Lower CO2 concentration
  • Reduced serum concentration

Correct Answer: pH color change and turbidity

Q11. What does STR profiling help determine for a cell line?

  • Cell viability
  • Identity and authentication
  • Contamination by fungi
  • Optimal growth medium

Correct Answer: Identity and authentication

Q12. Which biosafety level (BSL) is typically required for routine mammalian cell culture work with non-pathogenic cell lines?

  • BSL-1
  • BSL-2
  • BSL-3
  • BSL-4

Correct Answer: BSL-2

Q13. What is the role of fetal bovine serum (FBS) in cell culture?

  • Acts as an antibiotic
  • Provides growth factors and attachment factors
  • Detaches adherent cells
  • Buffers pH

Correct Answer: Provides growth factors and attachment factors

Q14. Which assay directly measures cell membrane integrity to assess cytotoxicity?

  • LDH release assay
  • qPCR
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Gel electrophoresis

Correct Answer: LDH release assay

Q15. What is the main advantage of using organoids in pharmaceutical research?

  • They are cheaper than cell lines
  • They more closely recapitulate tissue architecture and function
  • They require no specialized culture conditions
  • They eliminate the need for imaging

Correct Answer: They more closely recapitulate tissue architecture and function

Q16. Which method is preferred for long-term storage of cell lines to preserve phenotype?

  • Continuous culture at low passage
  • Cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen
  • Room temperature storage
  • Freeze-drying

Correct Answer: Cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen

Q17. Which molecule is commonly added to media as an energy source for cultured cells?

  • Collagen
  • Glucose
  • Penicillin
  • Trypsin

Correct Answer: Glucose

Q18. In toxicity testing, what does IC50 represent?

  • Concentration causing 50% increase in proliferation
  • Concentration inhibiting 50% of a biological or biochemical function
  • Time taken for cells to double
  • Temperature at which cells die

Correct Answer: Concentration inhibiting 50% of a biological or biochemical function

Q19. Which of the following is a common sign of bacterial contamination invisible to the naked eye but detectable by testing?

  • Mycoplasma contamination detected by PCR
  • Growth of fungal colonies on the bench
  • Cloudy precipitate visible immediately
  • Instant cell detachment

Correct Answer: Mycoplasma contamination detected by PCR

Q20. What does “passage number” refer to in cell culture?

  • Number of days cells have been in culture
  • Number of times cells have been subcultured
  • Number of viable cells per ml
  • Number of antibiotics added

Correct Answer: Number of times cells have been subcultured

Q21. Which technique quantifies specific proteins in cell lysates and is widely used after culture experiments?

  • ELISA or Western blot
  • Gram staining
  • Flow cytometry for cell size only
  • Phase-contrast microscopy

Correct Answer: ELISA or Western blot

Q22. Which gas concentration is commonly maintained in CO2 incubators for mammalian cell culture?

  • 0% CO2
  • 5% CO2
  • 50% CO2
  • 95% CO2

Correct Answer: 5% CO2

Q23. What is the main purpose of antibiotics in cell culture media?

  • To enhance cell proliferation
  • To reduce risk of bacterial contamination during routine handling
  • To replace serum
  • To induce differentiation

Correct Answer: To reduce risk of bacterial contamination during routine handling

Q24. Which cell-based assay is commonly used for high-throughput drug screening?

  • Manual colony counting
  • Automated luminescence/fluorescence viability assays
  • Electron microscopy
  • Southern blot

Correct Answer: Automated luminescence/fluorescence viability assays

Q25. In hybridoma technology, what is fused to produce monoclonal antibody-secreting cells?

  • Bacteria and yeast
  • Myeloma cells and specific B lymphocytes
  • Stem cells and fibroblasts
  • Epithelial cells and endothelial cells

Correct Answer: Myeloma cells and specific B lymphocytes

Q26. Which parameter is most important to report for reproducibility in cell culture experiments?

  • Brand of notebook used
  • Cell line identity, passage number, media composition and seeding density
  • Number of authors
  • Color of the incubator

Correct Answer: Cell line identity, passage number, media composition and seeding density

Q27. What is the main limitation of 2D monolayer cultures compared to 3D models?

  • They are too expensive
  • They fail to reproduce in vivo cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions
  • They always undergo rapid differentiation
  • They cannot be stained for microscopy

Correct Answer: They fail to reproduce in vivo cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions

Q28. Which staining method differentiates live from dead cells based on membrane integrity?

  • Trypan blue exclusion
  • Gram staining
  • DAPI staining only
  • Hematoxylin-eosin without controls

Correct Answer: Trypan blue exclusion

Q29. What is the principle behind MTT and similar tetrazolium-based assays?

  • Enzymatic conversion by viable cells to colored formazan
  • DNA amplification
  • Membrane disruption
  • Antibody binding

Correct Answer: Enzymatic conversion by viable cells to colored formazan

Q30. Which cell culture practice minimizes cross-contamination between different cell lines?

  • Using the same pipette tips for all lines
  • Quarantining new lines and authenticating them before use
  • Mixing cell lines to save resources
  • Keeping all lines at different room temperatures

Correct Answer: Quarantining new lines and authenticating them before use

Q31. What is a common method to detect mycoplasma contamination?

  • Microscopic detection of cell debris
  • PCR-based assays specific for mycoplasma DNA
  • Measuring glucose only
  • Counting cells with a hemocytometer

Correct Answer: PCR-based assays specific for mycoplasma DNA

Q32. In pharmacology, cell cultures help predict ADME by enabling studies of:

  • Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion using relevant cell models (e.g., hepatocytes, Caco-2)
  • Only the absorption phase
  • Only the excretion phase
  • None of ADME

Correct Answer: Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion using relevant cell models (e.g., hepatocytes, Caco-2)

Q33. Which cell type is typically used to study intestinal permeability in vitro?

  • HeLa cells
  • Caco-2 cells
  • CHO cells
  • Neurons

Correct Answer: Caco-2 cells

Q34. Which factor can induce differentiation of stem cells in culture?

  • Specific growth factors and substrate cues
  • Antibiotics alone
  • Freezing and thawing repeatedly
  • Keeping them in suspension without cues

Correct Answer: Specific growth factors and substrate cues

Q35. What does “GCCP” stand for and why is it important?

  • General Cell Culture Practice; it is a trendy term
  • Good Cell Culture Practice; it ensures reproducibility and reliability
  • Global Cell Certification Program; certifies cell lines
  • Guideline for Cell Cryo Preservation; only for freezing cells

Correct Answer: Good Cell Culture Practice; it ensures reproducibility and reliability

Q36. Which readout is commonly used in reporter gene assays?

  • Reporter activity such as luciferase luminescence or GFP fluorescence
  • PCR for genomic DNA
  • Trypsinization rate
  • Colony diameter only

Correct Answer: Reporter activity such as luciferase luminescence or GFP fluorescence

Q37. For protein expression studies, which cell line is frequently used for high-yield recombinant protein production?

  • HeLa
  • CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary)
  • Primary neurons
  • E. coli only

Correct Answer: CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary)

Q38. Which technique measures cell surface markers and can analyze thousands of cells quickly?

  • Flow cytometry
  • Gel electrophoresis
  • Light microscopy only
  • Mass spectrometry without labeling

Correct Answer: Flow cytometry

Q39. What is the principle of a neutral red uptake assay?

  • Measuring mitochondrial membrane potential
  • Assessing lysosomal uptake as an indicator of viable cells
  • Sequencing DNA
  • Measuring extracellular ATP

Correct Answer: Assessing lysosomal uptake as an indicator of viable cells

Q40. Which of the following is a benefit of serum-free defined media?

  • Reduced variability and better experimental control
  • Guaranteed faster growth for all cell types
  • Eliminates need for sterile technique
  • Always cheaper than serum-containing media

Correct Answer: Reduced variability and better experimental control

Q41. How does transwell culture help model tissue barriers?

  • By separating cell types on opposite sides of a porous membrane to study transport and polarity
  • By preventing any cell growth
  • By providing electrical stimulation
  • By eliminating the need for growth factors

Correct Answer: By separating cell types on opposite sides of a porous membrane to study transport and polarity

Q42. In cell culture contamination control, what is the recommended frequency for mycoplasma testing for critical lines?

  • Never
  • Regularly, e.g., monthly or before key experiments
  • Only after a contamination event
  • Yearly is sufficient

Correct Answer: Regularly, e.g., monthly or before key experiments

Q43. Which metabolic parameter is often measured to assess mitochondrial function in cultured cells?

  • ATP production and oxygen consumption rate (OCR)
  • Cell diameter only
  • pH of the incubator
  • Rate of trypsinization

Correct Answer: ATP production and oxygen consumption rate (OCR)

Q44. For production of vaccines using cell cultures, which property of the cell line is critical?

  • Ability to support high-yield viral replication or antigen expression under GMP conditions
  • Resistance to antibiotics only
  • Pink color of the medium
  • Low doubling time only

Correct Answer: Ability to support high-yield viral replication or antigen expression under GMP conditions

Q45. What is the significance of cell confluency when planning experiments?

  • Confluency affects cell physiology, signaling and responses to treatments
  • Confluency is irrelevant for most assays
  • Only matters for bacterial cultures
  • Indicates sterility of the culture

Correct Answer: Confluency affects cell physiology, signaling and responses to treatments

Q46. Which reagent is commonly used for RNA extraction from cultured cells prior to qPCR?

  • TRIzol (or guanidinium thiocyanate-based reagent)
  • SDS-PAGE buffer
  • Trypsin-EDTA
  • Crystal violet

Correct Answer: TRIzol (or guanidinium thiocyanate-based reagent)

Q47. Which cell-based model is preferred for hepatoxicity screening and metabolic studies?

  • Primary hepatocytes or well-differentiated hepatic cell lines
  • Keratinocytes only
  • CHO cells exclusively
  • Fibroblasts without metabolic enzymes

Correct Answer: Primary hepatocytes or well-differentiated hepatic cell lines

Q48. What advantage do microfluidic “organ-on-chip” systems offer over static cultures?

  • They eliminate the need for microscopes
  • They provide dynamic fluid flow, mechanical cues and better physiological mimicry
  • They always cost less
  • They require no training to use

Correct Answer: They provide dynamic fluid flow, mechanical cues and better physiological mimicry

Q49. In cell culture, what is the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) coatings like collagen or fibronectin?

  • They act as antibiotics
  • They promote cell adhesion, spreading and signaling
  • They replace media as nutrients
  • They detach cells during passaging

Correct Answer: They promote cell adhesion, spreading and signaling

Q50. Which practice improves data quality and reproducibility in cell-based drug screening?

  • Not recording passage number
  • Standardizing cell handling, seeding density, controls and assay conditions
  • Using different media for replicates
  • Varying incubation times randomly

Correct Answer: Standardizing cell handling, seeding density, controls and assay conditions

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