3D cell culture Created 2026-10-20 Updated 2026-11-05
A 3D cell culture grows biological cells in a spatial arrangement extending through three dimensions, for example as aggregates or within an extracellular matrix. This changes contact geometry, mechanical constraints and access to nutrients relative to a flat monolayer. An epithelial cyst can reveal an enclosed lumen and directional organization that a two-dimensional image misses. Three-dimensional geometry alone does not establish that the culture reproduces every property of its source tissue. [ref]