Cell line (source code)

= Cell line

A <cell line> comprises descendants after a <primary cell culture>'s first <subculture>. Further division can be finite or continuous; one founder <biological cell> is not required.<Animal Cell Culture Guide by ATCC>[Glossary, Cell line, Clone and Continuous cell culture]{ref}

The useful continuity is ancestry across successive <subcultures>: descendants supply the next experiment. Individual <biological cells> can divide or die while their <cell line> persists. A common origin helps compare experiments, but does not imply that every descendant has identical <DNA>, <gene expression> or <cell state>.