Health Stem Cells Study Cards Flashcards
What does the term ‘tissue specific’ mean in relation to stem cells?
‘Tissue-specific’ means that these stem cells are specialized to differentiate into a particular type of cell within a specific tissue or organ, such as liver cells from liver stem cells.
What are adult stem cells also known as?
Adult stem cells are also known as somatic stem cells, multipotent stem cells, or tissue-specific stem cells.
What are embryonic stem cells?
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells derived from embryos that are 5-7 days old, before they become specialized into different tissue types.
How can a multipotent stem cell become a pluripotent stem cell?
Scientists can reprogram multipotent stem cells in a lab by altering the cell’s DNA to revert them to a pluripotent state, allowing them to differentiate into a wider range of cell types.
What is one ethical issue associated with stem cells?
One ethical issue is the use of embryos to harvest embryonic stem cells, which raises concerns about the moral status of the embryos and the implications of discarding them.
Name another ethical issue related to stem cells.
Another issue is the belief that embryonic stem cell research involves the destruction of potential human life, which some argue is equivalent to killing.
Provide a third ethical issue associated with stem cells.
A third issue is the potential for cloning or genetic manipulation, which raises concerns about the ethical implications of creating and using genetically modified or cloned human cells.
