What is Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)?
FBS is a growth-promoting supplement used in tissue culture for virtually all types of cells and is also known as foetal bovine serum, and fetal/foetal calf serum (FCS) . FBS is a complex mixture of nutritional, growth, hormonal, and attachment (anti-trypsin activity) factors that are essential for cell proprogation. These include a wide variety of proteins, lipids, salts, minerals, and amino acids. Major proteins include albumin, fetuin, fibronection, globulins, and transferrin. Furthermore, FBS also appears to serve as a protective buffer against detrimental changes, such as pH differences, heavy metals, proteolytic activity, and endotoxin. Other types of sera include calf serum (CS), and horse serum.
