Ham's Nutrient Mixtures were originally developed to support clonal growth of several clones of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, as well as clones of HeLa and mouse L-cells. Both mixtures were formulated for use with or without serum supplementation, depending on the cell type being cultured. Ham's F-10 has been shown to support the growth of human diploid cells, white blood cells for chromosomal analysis, primary explants of rat, rabbit and chicken tissues. Ham's F-12 has been used for the growth of primary rat hepatocytes and rat prostate epithelial cells. May be used in combination with hormones and transferrin. For optimum buffering, use in a 5% CO2 atmosphere.