Organ culture is defined as the development of a part of an organ or the whole organ itself from tissue culture techniques. The main characteristics of organ culture are structural integrity, nutrient and gas exchange, and growth and differentiation.

Structural integrity is a primary characteristic where the anatomical relationship and physiological functions of the tissue components are preserved. In this system, cell-to-cell communication and association are greatly maintained, allowing cells to interchange signals via interaction or adhesion. This preservation allows the culture to simulate the parent tissue, facilitating the study of the actual behavior of a tissue in an in vitro system. Furthermore, organ culture helps in understanding the biochemical and functional characteristics of an organ and studying the effects of hormones.