From reference to calculation
K-562: concentration, total cells and culture volume
For a suspension culture, cells/mL and total culture volume belong in the same plan. A flask area does not define the number of suspended cells.
Scientific contributor: Dr. Tayner Rodriguez Garzon · Published by Cell Culture Tools · How content is prepared
Read the density together with the volume
ATCC CCL-243 is a suspension reference using IMDM with 10% FBS and 5% CO₂. Its product information gives 100,000 viable cells/mL for starting cultures and 1,000,000 cells/mL for subculture. Those are product-reference conditions, not a universal endpoint for every assay.
At 100,000 viable cells/mL, a 10 mL culture contains 1 million viable cells; a 20 mL culture contains 2 million. Entering only the concentration leaves the required cell budget undefined. Use the concentration target mode and the final volume of each destination in the calculator.
Worked example: prepare a 20 mL destination
For an arithmetic demonstration using a target of 100,000 viable cells/mL, the destination requires 2,000,000 viable cells. Compare a total count at 90% viability with an already-corrected live count. Both displayed counter numbers below happen to be 1,000,000 cells/mL, but their meanings differ.
| Counter result | Viable stock | Stock required | Fresh medium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000,000 total cells/mL; 90% viable | 900,000 cells/mL | 2.2222 mL | 17.7778 mL |
| 1,000,000 live cells/mL | 1,000,000 cells/mL | 2 mL | 18 mL |
Check how many complete cultures you can make
With 4 mL available at 900,000 viable cells/mL, the harvest contains 3.6 million viable cells. That is enough for one complete 20 mL culture at the illustrated target, but not two: two would require 4 million cells. Adding more medium creates more liquid, not the missing cells.
If your instruction says “split 1:4”, define whether this means one-quarter of an average source harvest per destination or a fourfold dilution of a suspension. These descriptions coincide only under particular volume assumptions. The passage calculator states its per-source definition and reports the fraction of the pooled harvest used.
A measured viable concentration is a snapshot. A later predicted count needs a growth model and observations from your culture; the starting density and the supplier’s subculture threshold do not provide a measured doubling time.
Sources and the next calculation
ATCC CCL-243: K-562 product information supports the stated product context. The interpretation above was prepared using product information retrieved on 1 November 2026; the reference cards retain their own field-review dates. The worked comparisons are original arithmetic examples, not reported experimental results.
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