1.4 Cellular Differentiation

Question 1

What is cellular differentiation?

Answer 1

The process by which a cell expresses certain genes to produce proteins characteristic to that type of cell.

Question 2

What does cellular differentiation allow a cell to do?

Answer 2

Carry out specialised functions.

Question 3

What are meristems?

Answer 3

Regions of unspecialised cells in plants that can divide (self-renew) and/or differentiate.

Question 4

What are the two types of stem cells in animals?

Answer 4

Embryonic and tissue (adult).

Question 5

What are stem cells?

Answer 5

Unspecialised cells in animals that can divide (self-renew) and/or differentiate.

Question 6

What does pluripotent mean?

Answer 6

Unlimited range of cell types.

Question 7

Are embryonic stem cells pluripotent or multipotent?

Answer 7

Pluripotent.

Question 8

Are tissue (adult) stem cells pluripotent or multipotent?

Answer 8

Multipotent.

Question 9

Why can embryonic stem cells differentiate into any cell type?

Answer 9

All their genes can be turned on.

Question 10

What are tissue stem cells involved in?

Answer 10

They are involved in the growth, repair and renewal of the cells found in that tissue.

Question 11

What does multipotent mean?

Answer 11

Can differentiate into all the types of cell found in a particular tissue type.

Question 12

What are the two things a stem cell can do?

Answer 12

•Divide repeatedly.
•Differentiate into specialised animal cells.

Question 13

What are the two uses of stem cells?

Answer 13

•Research
•Therapeutic

Question 14

How are stem cells used in research?

Answer 14

They are used as model cells.

Question 15

How are model cells used for research?

Answer 15

They can be used to study how diseases develop, used for drug testing or for investigating cell processes.

Question 16

What information can stem cells provide?

Answer 16

Information on how cell processes such as cell growth, differentiation and gene regulation work.

Question 17

What does therapeutic use of stem cells involve?

Answer 17

The repair of damaged or diseased organs or tissues.

Question 18

What can stem cells from embryos do, under the right conditions, in the lab?

Answer 18

Self-renew

Question 19

Give some examples of therapeutic stem cells currently being used.

Answer 19

Corneal repair and regeneration of damaged skin.

Question 20

What are some of the uses of embryonic stem cells?

Answer 20

Effective treatments for disease and injury.

Question 21

What are some of the potential uses of stem cells?

Answer 21

Stem cells could be used to replace any dead or damaged cells that cause disease such as Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries or regrow organs.

Question 22

What are some of the ethical issues of using embryonic stem cells?

Answer 22

The use of embryonic stem cells destroys the embryo, which many believe to be taking of a human life.