What is the difference between cell lines and cell strains?

Answer 1

The definition of species is a group of similar organisms that are able to interbreed. The definition of strain is a breed or variety of an animal that is developed by breeding. An example would be dog is a species, while toy Chihuahua is a strain of that species.

Answer 2

species is interrelated individual that can reproduce but strain is sub unit of species. In bacteriology, and probably in microbiology at large, there is a slight difference, may I say details to the differentiation between these two words. The article title "Strain, clone, and species: Comments on three basic concept of bacteriology" published the Journal of Medical Microbiology in 2000 by Dijkshoorn et al illustrate the difference.

Answer 3

A cell strain is defined as an euploid population of cells subcultivated once or twice in vitro, lacking the property of indefinite serial passage. Cell strains ultimately undergo degeration or death (senescence).

A cell line is an aneuploid population of cells that can be grown in cultures indefinitely.

Answer 4

Cell lines are established from a single cell that continuously divides in vitro and are immortal, whereas cell strains refer to cells derived from a primary culture that have a limited lifespan and can only be passaged a few times before reaching senescence. Cell lines are homogenous populations, while cell strains may contain some degree of genetic diversity.