Lecture 1 - Stem Cells and Regeneration

Question 1

Stem Cells are cells which can BLANK and BLANK

Answer 1

Stem Cells are cells which can self-renew and differentiate

Question 2

Totipotent

Answer 2

Can make everything, i.e. can give rise to a whole organism (e.g. zygote)

Question 3

Pluripotent

Answer 3

Can make all somatic cells

Question 4

Multipotent

Answer 4

Can make multiple different cell types (e.g. haematopoietic stem cells giving rise to other blood cells)

Question 5

Unipotent

Answer 5

Can only differentiate into one cell type [Bi-/Tri- = 2/3 cell types etc.]

Question 6

Potency becomes more restricted as developmental age increases
TRUE OR FALSE

Answer 6

TRUE

Question 7

Embryonic Stem Cell Characteristics

Answer 7

• Derived from the inner cell mass of blastocysts
• Maintained indefinitely in vitro (Grown in a dish, they are NOT FOUND IN VIVO)
• Pluripotent
• Fast Cycling
• Symmetrically expanding

Question 8

Somatic Stem Cell Characteristics

Answer 8

• Rare
• Slow Cell Cycle
• Symmetric or Asymmetric Cell Division
• Unspecialised
• Present in many adult tissues
• Usually respect germ layer boundaries and contribute to tissue of origin

Question 9

Regeneration

Answer 9

• Regeneration = Homeostasis + Repair
• Tissues with natural turnover can be considered to regenerate (e.g. blood, skin)
• “Reserve Cells” for injury repair (e.g. muscle)

Question 10

The Search for “Stemness”

Answer 10

An attractive concept that stem cells share common characteristics, but in the end there is NO common stem cell signature

i.e. STEMNESS DOESN’T EXIST

Question 11

Symmetric Division of Stem Cells

Answer 11

Either both Self-Renew or Both Differentiate

Question 12

Asymmetric Division of Stem Cells

Answer 12

One Self-Renewal, One Differentiation

Question 13

Stem cells which participate in regeneration are lineage restricted
TRUE OR FALSE

Answer 13

TRUE