- Passage number refers to the number of times cells have been subcultured or passaged i.e., upon confluence, cells are transferred to new culture dishes to prepare fresh culture for culture maintenance.
- The passage number provides a rough estimate of cell age, increasing by one with each subculture. Generally, a higher passage number indicates that cells have been in culture longer. However, it’s important to note that the passage number can be influenced by seeding densities. Cells seeded at lower densities will take longer to reach confluence compared to those seeded at higher densities. Therefore, the cell doubling number is often a better estimate of cell age, as it directly reflects the growth and proliferation of the cells.
- As cells in culture undergo changes over time, keeping a precise record of the passage number is crucial for good cell culture techniques.
- Several studies suggest that cells at late passage numbers may exhibit altered behaviors and may lose specific characteristics. This variability can lead to inconsistencies in experimental outcomes. Consequently, researchers are advised to use early passage number cell lines to minimize these discrepancies and ensure more reliable results in their experiments.
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