2.2.3 Stem Cells

Question 1

What is a stem cell?

Answer 1

an undifferentiated cell of an organism that is capable of dividing to produce many more cells of the same type

Question 2

What do Embryonic stem cells help to do?

Answer 2

they help to form all of the different tissues and organs needed during development to form a whole new individual – they are totipotent

Question 3

What is the definition of totipotent

Answer 3

capable of giving rise to any cell type or a complete embryo.

Question 4

What is the predominant role of the stem cell

Answer 4

to replace cells lost through damage or to produce new cells for growth

Question 5

In plants, meristem cells are what?

Answer 5

meristem cells are unspecialized cells that can differentiate into the cells needed by the plant in regions where growth is occurring

Question 6

In the lab, it’s possible to grow human embryos and to extract, what?

Answer 6

embryonic stem cells from them

Question 7

There is the potential for scientists and doctors to use stem cell technology to do what?

Answer 7

repair damaged organs by growing new tissue from stem cells.

The new tissue is produced by human embryos, using genetic information from the patient

Question 8

can adult stem cells also be cultured in the lab and made to differentiate into specialised cells

Answer 8

Yes, but of fewer types than embryonic stem cells

Question 9

What is therapeutic cloning

Answer 9

In therapeutic cloning, an embryo is produced with the same genes as the patient

Question 10

A _ day old embryo is the best source of embryonic stem cells

Answer 10

5