Cellular Differentiation Flashcards
What is cellular differentiation?
The process by which a cell develops more specialised functions by expressing the genes characteristic for that type of cell.
What are meristems?
Regions of unspecialised cells that in plants that are capable of cell division. These are the only regions in a plant where differentiation can occur.
What are the 3 positions of meristems?
- shoot apical meristem (in buds)
- lateral meristem
- root apical meristem
What are stem cells?
Unspecialised cells in animals that can divide to make copies of themselves (self-renew) and/or differentiate into specialised cells.
What are the 2 mains groups of stem cells that can be found in an animal?
- Adult stem cells
- Embryonic stem cells
Describe embryonic stem cells?
To produce embryonic stem cells, cells are taken from a 4 day old fertilised human egg called a blastocyst. These cells don’t self-renew in vivo (inside the body) but can, under certain conditions, self-renew in the laboratory. It is then they are called embryonic stem cells and are used as a source of stem cells in research.
What do embryonic stem cells have the potential to do?
To differentiate into any type of body cell. They are said to be pluripotent.
Describe adult stem cells
They are also known as tissue stem cells. They are needed in the body for growth, repair and renewal of tissues. They replenish differentiated cells that need to be replaced.
What can tissue stem cells only differentiate into?
A limited range of cell type. They are said to be multipotent.
Where can tissue stem cells be found?
At various places within an organisms body e.g in humans they can be found in the brain, heart and bone marrow.
Since tissue stem cells already have some genes expressed what can they only differentiate into?
Specific tissues. This means the brain stem cells can only differentiate into nerve cells, heart stem cells can can only differentiate into heart muscle cells and bone marrow cells can only differentiate into blood cells.
What does a cell do after it becomes differentiated?
It only expresses the genes that produce the protein’s characteristic for that type of cell.
What are stem cells used for?
- Research purposes
- to treat various diseases/conditions.
What can stem cell research do?
Provide an understanding of how specific body cells will react to new drug treatments or to a specific disease.
What are stem cells used as?
- Model cells to study how disease develops or for drug testing.
- They can also provide information on how processes such as growth, differentiation and gene regulation work. As a result stem cells are now used to treat a number of medical conditions in humans.
