Lecture 6 - The stem cell niche Flashcards
Describe the potency of stem cells initially in the embryo?
Totipotent
What cells are produced from mesenchymal stem cells?
- bone cells (osteoblasts)
- cartilage cells (chondrocytes)
- fat cells (adipocytes)
What cells are produced from haematopoetic stem cells?
- blood stem cells
- red blood cells
- platelets
- white blood stem cells
What cells are produced from satellite stem cells?
muscle
What cells are produced from germ cells?
- oocytes
- sperm
What is the name given to the special environments where adult stem cells are found?
niches
Why do we need stem cells?
maintenance
How long do RBC live for?
4 months
How long do white blood cells live for?
> a year
How long do skin cells live for?
2-3 weeks
How long do colon cells live for?
4 days
How long do sperm cells live for?
3 days
How long do brain cells last?
can live for an entire lifetime
What process allows stem cell to carry out maintenance?
mitosis
How is stem cell division different from normal mitosis?
creates a daughter cell and keeps a stem cell
What is the advantage of stem cell division compared to normal mitosis?
maintains the stem cell population
What is the name of the stage by which the daughter cell, created through stem cell division, differentiates to create many cells?
transit amplifying stage
What is population asymmetry?
3 different types of division to ensure that division rates are in balance that keep the stem cell population constant
What are the 3 types of cell division which maintains population asymmetry?
- stem cell proliferates into 2 stem cells
- stem cell proliferates into 2 differentiated cells
- stem cell proliferates into one of each
What are the 3 main layers of the skin?
epidermis, dermis & subcutis
What can be found in skin?
- hair follicles
- sebaceous glands
- sweat glands
What is the epidermis made up of?
keratinocytes
What does the dermis contain?
fibroblasts & blood vessels
What stimulates keratinocyte proliferation?
signals from the dermis & basement membrane
What type of stem cells (that can proliferate) can be found in the stem cell niche that is the basal layer?
basal keratinocytes
What happens to the daughter cells (basal keratinocytes) when they proliferate?
pushed progressively to the skin surface where they die
What provides the skin with strength?
high levels of fibrous protein keratin