Stem Cells

Question 1

What is a stem cell

Answer 1

A cell that has the ability to continuously divide and differentiate (develop) into various other kind(s) of cells/tissues

Question 2

What are totipotent stem cells?

Answer 2

Each cell can develop into a
new individual cell

Question 3

What are pluripotent stem cells?

Answer 3

Cells can form any cell type
(over 200)

Question 4

What are multipotent stem cells?

Answer 4

Cells differentiated, but can
form a number of other tissues (e.g adult stem cells, cord blood)

Question 5

What are unipotent stem cells

Answer 5

stem cells that are fully differentiated and can therefore only give rise to cells with identical phenotypic characteristics

Question 6

what is the stem cell niche

Answer 6

area of the tissue in which stem cells reside in a dormant/ quiescent state

Question 7

What are some ways a cell may receive signalling

Answer 7

Humoral, Neural, Mechanical/Structural

Question 8

What are some examples of humoral signalling

Answer 8

Nutrients and growth factors coming from the blood

Question 9

What are some examples of neural signalling?

Answer 9

Signals that come from surrounding tissues

Question 10

What does stimuli influence in a stem cell?

Answer 10

• Maintenance of quiescence
• Self-renewal
• Differentiation

Question 11

What are some examples of structural/mechanical signalling?

Answer 11

Adhesion or interaction with the extracellular membrane

Question 12

Where are some locations of stem cell niches?

Answer 12

Bone marrow
Skin
Central nervous system
Gut
Muscle

Question 13

Where is the stem cell niche located in the bone marrow?

Answer 13

In the osteoblastic lining cells

Question 14

Where are the stem cell niches located in the skin?

Answer 14

In bulges of hair follicle between the dermis and epidermis

Question 15

What are two branches of stem cell niche in neuronal cells

Answer 15

Subventricular Zone and Subgradular Zone

Question 16

where is the stem cell niches in the gut

Answer 16

found in the crypt of the gut epithelium

Question 17

Where are satellite cells located in the muscle?

Answer 17

between the basal lamina and sarcolemma

Question 18

Where can satellite cells be found in the cell cycle?

Answer 18

G0, they can then express a unique expression pattern which changes with the restart of the cell cycle

Question 19

What occurs when satellite cells are stimulated?

Answer 19

They can differentiate into different muscle precursors-myoblasts and they then differentiate into myofibers

Question 20

How do myofibers help repair the muscle?

Answer 20

Try and repair the muscle, calcium is released along with HGF

Question 21

What do you need to try and limit when fibres are damaged?

Answer 21

The release of Nitrous Oxide or any ROS

Question 22

Main points surrounding Embryonic stem cells

Answer 22

Derived from donated IVF embryos
* Can be grown indefinitely in the laboratory in an
unspecialised state
* Retain ability to specialise into many different
tissue types – know as pluripotent
* Can restore function in animal models following
transplantation

Question 23

Induced Pluripotent stem cells

Answer 23

Can be grown indefinitely in an undifferentiated state, have similar properties to embryonic stem cells, can be taken directly from patients for research

Question 24

How can we use stem cells in agriculture?

Answer 24

Reproducing the best breed
* Disease resistant
* Suitability to climate
* Quality body type
* Fertility
* Market preference

Question 25

What is the therapeutic role of stem cells?

Answer 25

Treatment of musculoskeletal issues, Creating Transgenic animals (testing new drugs?), Preservation of Endangered species

Question 26

What is the satellite cell pathway?

Answer 26

MyoD modulates Cdc 6 allowing the satellite cells to become myoblasts