Biological Specimen Banks (also known as Biobanks, Biobank): Facilities that collect, store, and distribute tissues, e.g., cell lines, microorganisms, blood, sperm, milk, breast tissue, for use by others. Other uses may include transplantation and comparison of diseased tissues in the identification of cancer.

NIH MeSH · D018070Health Care

Biological Specimen Banks

Also known asBiobanks · Biobank · Specimen Bank, Biological · Specimen Banks, Biological · Bank, Biological Substance · Banks, Biological Substance · Biological Substance Bank · Substance Bank, Biological · Substance Banks, Biological · Biological Substance Banks · Bank, Biological Specimen · Banks, Biological Specimen

Definition

Facilities that collect, store, and distribute tissues, e.g., cell lines, microorganisms, blood, sperm, milk, breast tissue, for use by others. Other uses may include transplantation and comparison of diseased tissues in the identification of cancer.

MeSH classification

  • N02.278.065

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Common questions about Biological Specimen Banks

What does Biological Specimen Banks mean in medicine?
Facilities that collect, store, and distribute tissues, e.g., cell lines, microorganisms, blood, sperm, milk, breast tissue, for use by others. Other uses may include transplantation and comparison of diseased tissues in the identification of cancer. This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Biological Specimen Banks known by any other names?
Yes. Biological Specimen Banks is also referred to as Biobanks, Biobank, Specimen Bank, Biological, Specimen Banks, Biological in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.
Where does Biological Specimen Banks sit in the medical classification?
Biological Specimen Banks falls under the broader medical category "Health Care" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: N02.278.065). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Biological Specimen Banks?
For a plain-language explanation of Biological Specimen Banks - including symptoms, treatments and what it means for an Indian patient - ask GoDavaii's Health AI. It works in 22+ Indian languages, is free and needs no signup. Tap "Ask GoDavaii AI about Biological Specimen Banks" above.

Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D018070) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗