2.6.9- Stem Cells Flashcards
List four characteristics of stem cells.
- pluripotent
- able to express all of its genes
- unspecialised cells capable to differentiate into any cell in the organism
- can divide by mitosis and provide more cells that can differentiate for growth and tissue repair.
List three places where stem cells are found.
Umbilical cord blood/ in an early embryo- they form when the zygote starts to/ in developed adult tissue (eg. Brain, bone, muscle etc.) as they are used as a repair system.
What are iPS?
Induced pluripotent stem cells.
Define what induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are.
They are made in the lab by certain genes being reprogrammed in differentiated cells to become undifferentiated, iPS cells.
What are the four potential future uses in medicine of stem cells?
Bone marrow transplants, drug research, developments biology, respiring damaged or lost tissues.
Explain how stem cells could be used for bone marrow transplants and why.
To treat blood diseases (leukaemia), to treat immune system diseases (SCID) and to restore patients blood after cancer treatments.
Explain how stem cells could be used in drug research.
Stem cells can be developed into certain tissue typed to test drugs on.
Explain what developmental biology is and how stem cells can be used in it.
Studying how cells develop to make cell types, cell functions and what happens when a cell is diseased. Stem cells can be used to find this out and discover if there is the capacity to extend growth and tissue repair to later life.
Give three examples of how stem cells can be used for respiring damaged or lost tissues.
IPS can be reprogrammed to become pancreatic beta cells to treat nice with diabetes/ bm SC’s can develop into liver cells to treat liver disease and SC’s can be redirected to become nerve cells in order to treat spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Define what a stem cell is.
Unspecialised cells that are capable of expressing all of their genes, are pluripotent and can divide by mitosis.
