(PM3A) Stem Cells in Health & Disease Flashcards
What is a stem cell?
Cells
Self-renew – can generate new cells
Differentiate into all cells of a particular lineage/ tissue
What are ESCs?
Embryonic stem cells
What is a fertilised egg called?
Zygote
What is a blastocyst?
Contains inner cell mass
Where is the inner cell mass found?
Blastocyst
What is the ICM?
Inner cell mass
Where are embryonic stem cells derived from?
Inner cell mass
What are the 3 germ layers?
(1) Ectoderm - outer part, e.g. nervous system
(2) Mesoderm - middle part, e.g. musculoskeletal system
(3) Endoderm - inner part, e.g. respiratory/ digestive systems
How is the potency of stem cells classified?
(1) Totipotent – give rise to any cell type
(2) Pluripotent – any cell of the body
(3) Multipotent – any cell of specific lineage/ tissue
What are neural stem cells?
Stem cells which give rise to cells of the nervous sytem
Multipotent - tissue-specific (adult)
What are hematopoietic stem cells?
Stem cells which give rise to cells of the nervous system
Multipotent - tissue-specific (adult)
What is cellular differentiation?
Cell goes from less specialised to a more specialised state
How can the differentiation of stem cells be driven in vitro?
(1) Developmental approach
(2) Empirical approach
What is an empirical approach, with regard to differentiation of stem cells in vitro?
Factors/ conditions that drive cells to differentiate to particular lineages
What is a developmental approach, with regard to differentiation of stem cells in vitro?
Knowledge that cells respond to extracellular cues/ cell-cell contact
Understanding of cell fates
What are progenitor cells?
Early descendants of stem cells
What is the intermediary molecule between B cells, T cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells from hematopoietic cells?
Lymphoid progenitor
What is the intermediary molecule between erythrocytes and platelets from hematopoetic cells?
Myeloid progenitor
Describe the potency of embryonic stem cells.
Pluripotent
What types of cell can be generated from pluripotent stem cells?
Any type of cell
Brain, liver, heart, blood etc
Name some sources of adult-derived (tissue-specific) stem cells.
Bone marrow
(1) Hematopoietic stem cells
(2) Mesanchymal stem cells
What do hematopoietic stem cells differentiate to?
Blood cells
What do mesenchymal stem cells differentiate to?
(1) Osteoblasts - bone
(2) Myocytes - muscle
(3) Adipocytes - fat
(4) Chondrocytes - cartilage