Stem Cells 1 Flashcards
What are stem cells defined by
Function
What are some self renewing organs/tissues
Skin, blood, intestines
Describe skin
Surface of body covered by dead cells
Intact skin for life
Protect it from mechanical force, pathogens and for evaporation fo water
Describe normal blood smear
No nucleus
Need blood forever
Can regenerate
Describe epithelium of small intestine
Structure where cells proliferate - crypts and differentiate as move up and get function required
Digest, absorb, more
Sloughed off ever 5-7 days
Stem cells support cell turnover
Describe stem cells def
Cells that can regenerate and maintain for a life time a complete structure and function of adult tissue
Based on functions
Describe hematopoietic stem cells
Maintenance of stem cell pool and all types of blood cells for a lifetime
Describe stem cells secondary features
Important stem cell markers but secondary to functional definition
Describe tissue specific adult stem cells
Bone marrow- blood
Breast, mammary gland
Brain - nervous system
Fatty tissues
Heart
Pancreas
Skin teeth
Describe tissue specific adult stem cells - other sources
Testis, liver, muscle, intestinal epithelium, retina
Describe stem cells of embryonic origin
Es cells - blastocyst
Artificial in in vitro cells = major focus
Name 3 characteristics of stem cells
Self renewal
Differentiation
Long term
Describe self renewal of stem cells
Reproduce themselves
For maintenance of stem cell pool
Describe differentiation of stem cells
Generate daughter cells that are committed to differentiation
For production of terminally differentiated cells
Describe long term activity of stem cells
Unique to stem cells
Self renewal and differentiation activity are sustained throughout life
Produce all cell types of a given cell lineage
What are stem cells define by
Functions
What are stem cells in cell lineage
Most primitive cell type in cell lineage and support normal homeostasis of tissue and cell lineage
What arises from one stem cell
A series of daughter cells arise from one stem cell
Stem cells produce clonal cell populations
If something happens to stem cell = will inherit problems genetically
Describe terminally differentiated cells
Conduct tissues/organ specie functions
Stem cells = producers not WORKErs
Describe sickle cell anaemia
Adaptation against malaria, point mutation in beta globin gene = globin starts aggregating = deforms rbcs, mutation affect even hematopoietic cells, but phenotype only in rbcs since only cells that express globin
Are there many stem cells
Few
Describe what progeny of stem cells do
Gradually lose differentiation ability
Stem cells = can become all types then gradually lose potency = ability to become diff types of cells
Chooses linage and is restricted to it
What is lineage restriction
Differentiation potential comes restricted
Describe mitotic catastrophe or crisis
Self renewal potential
Will become gradually restricted
Committed cells = with each division = less and less telomeres
Describe stem cell compartment
Hematopoietic stem cells represent only 0.01% of unucleated cells in marrow
Very slowly cell cycling = only 8% of all hematopoietic stem cells enter mitosis daily, much telomeres
<0.007% - nucleated = exclude stem cells
Small fraction of cell lineage
Infrequent division = less likely genetic mutations, helps stem cell keep genetic integrity
How do stem cells support a cell lineage
By their long term, dual function, self renewal and commitement
How are descendents of stem cells produced
In a step wise manner and each step gradually loses their differentiation capacity - lineage restriction
Describe stem cells vs descendants
Stem cells represent small sub pop of a cell linage and dive infrequently
Descendants proliferate more rapidly, compensate stem cells weaknesses
Do stem cells carry out tissue functions
NaaaaaaaaAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Describe totipotent stem cells
They can generate all cell types in an organism, including placenta
Only fertilized egg belongs to this category = zygotes can become all tissues = extraembryonic and embryo