Cell Biology: Stem Cells Flashcards
1
Q
What is a stem cell?
A
An unspecialised cell that can differentiate into many other cell types.
2
Q
Describe embryonic stem cells.
A
- can replicate themselves and differentiate into any type of cells (pluripotent)
- may be able to treat conditions such as paralysis and diabetes by dividing to replace damaged cells
- found in early stage embryos
3
Q
Describe adult stem cells.
A
- can only differentiate into certain cells (multipotent)
- found in many places such as bone marrow, stomach and eyes
4
Q
Where are stem cells found in plants?
A
in the meristems
5
Q
Describe the stem cells in plants.
A
can differentiate into any type of plant cell throughout the plant’s entire life
6
Q
What is therapeutic cloning?
A
- a cloning method where an embryo is produced with the same genetic makeup as the patient
- the stem cells will not be rejected by the patient’s immune system so can be used to treat certain medical conditions
7
Q
What issues are associated with the use of embryonic stem cells?
A
- many of the cells are sourced from aborted embryos which would’ve been a potential human life- some people have ethical/religious objections
- development of stem cell therapies is slow, expensive and difficult
- adult stem cells infected with viruses could transfer infections to patients
- if donor stem cells do not have a similar genetic makeup to the patient, an immune response could be triggered
8
Q
What are plant stem cells used for?
A
- these stem cells can be sued to produce clones of whole plants quickly and cheaply
- can be used to grow more plants of rare species
- can also be sued to grow crops of identical plants that have desired features for farmer, eg disease resistance
9
Q
What are some risks of using stem cells in medicine?
A
-
virus transmission
donor stem cells could be infected with a virus -
tumour development
stem cells divide rapidly so there’s a chance of them getting out of control leading to a patient developing a tumour/cancer
