Question

Your cell culture incubator’s carbon dioxide sensor is not functioning properly and shows the right measures (5% CO₂ and 37 degrees) even though it is not the case. How would you understand that the level of carbon dioxide has decreased and affected your cells?

Answer 1

We can know that the level of carbon dioxide has decreased and affected your cells by looking at the color of the culture medium in which the cells have been cultured.In a cell culture incubator maintained at 5% CO2 and 37 degrees,the color of culture media due to presence of phenol red is an indication of pH of the medium. At healthy pH conditions, the color of culture medium is orange red.When CO2 level goes high, pH decreases and the medium changes to yellow color due to more acidification and when CO2 level goes down, pH increases and the media will become more alkaline and turn to fuschia color.So, the fuschia color of the culture medium is an indication that level of carbon dioxide has decreased and affected the cells.