biology

OK cells

OK cells is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand OK cells rather than just read about it. In short: OK cells (short for opossum kidney cells) are a marsupial cell line used in medical research to model proximal tubule epithelial cells of the kidney. Characteristics The cell line was derived from the kidney of an adult female North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana).

Key takeaways

OK cells belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect OK cells to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of OK cells from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

OK cells (short for opossum kidney cells) are a marsupial cell line used in medical research to model proximal tubule epithelial cells of the kidney.

Characteristics The cell line was derived from the kidney of an adult female North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana). Like porcine LLC-PK1 cells, this cell line has the limitation of lacking several enzymes specific to the proximal tubule. Nonetheless, OK cells have been used extensively to study functional interactions between the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) and the sodium-hydrogen exchange regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1).

Use in research OK cells were originally cultured as a source of X chromosomes for studies on X inactivation. They have also served as models for the study of renal dopaminergic physiology, owing to their capacity to produce and degrade dopamine. OK cells are sold under the catalog number CRL-1840 by ATCC.

References

External links Opossum Kidney Cortex Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells (OK Line). Microscopy U. Retrieved February 15, 2015. OK (ATCC® CRL-1840™). ATCC. Retrieved February 15, 2015. Cellosaurus entry for OK

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OK cells

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OK cells claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to OK cells before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about OK cells ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of OK cells

In research: OK cells appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses OK cells in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: OK cells is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Kidney, Marsupial cell lines, Opossums, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for OK cells outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study OK cells in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what OK cells means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain OK cells out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OK cells in simple terms?

OK cells (short for opossum kidney cells) are a marsupial cell line used in medical research to model proximal tubule epithelial cells of the kidney. Characteristics The cell line was derived from the kidney of an adult female North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana).

Why does OK cells matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study OK cells?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on OK cells.