1.10 - Stem Cells in Medicine

Question 1

Which type of stem cell can only differentiate into different types of blood cells?

Answer 1

Adult stem cells

Question 2

What is the problem in type 1 diabetes?

Answer 2

The pancreas is damaged and no longer produces insulin

Question 3

When nerve cells are damaged, messages can no longer be sent to the muscles properly.

This can lead to the loss of the ability to move some or all of your body

Answer 3

Paralysis

Question 4

fill in the steps of stem cell treatment

1) Extract _________stem cells from early embryos.

2) Grow them in a _________

3) Stimulate them to ____________
into whichever type of _______________
cell that we want.

4) Give them to the patient to _________
their faulty cells.

Answer 4

1) embryonic

2) laboratory

3) differentiate, specialised

4) replace

Question 5

Give two disadvantages of using embryonic stems cells in stem cell therapy.

Answer 5

Stem cells have a limited supply

The risk of rejection

Ethical issues associated with stem cells

Question 6

What are two advantages of using adult stem cells rather than embryonic stem cells?

Answer 6

Adult stem cells won’t cause rejection as they’re taken from the patient themselves

Adult stem cells are taken from the patient so are not in limited supply

Question 7

Two risks of using stem cells in medicine

Answer 7

The stem cells could be infected with a virus whilst in the laboratory, which could then infect the patient.

As stem cells divide quickly, there is a chance they could divide uncontrollably once they’ve been transplanted

then this can develop into a tumour.