Tissue Engineering Practice Exam

The MTT assay is primarily used to assess cell viability and proliferation through the measurement of metabolic activity in living cells. In this assay, the reduction of MTT to formazan by metabolically active cells provides an indication of cell health. While it provides insights into the overall cellular state, it does not specifically measure cell adhesion to surfaces or matrices.

In contrast, the shear flow assay, sedimentation-detachment assay, and centrifugation assay are all designed specifically to evaluate how well cells adhere to surfaces under varying conditions. These assays employ different methods to apply forces or conditions that can lead to cell detachment, thereby allowing researchers to quantify cell adhesion properties. Understanding the distinction between viability/proliferation assays and adhesion assays is crucial in experiments where adhesion characteristics are specifically being studied.