Stem cells Flashcards
what is a stem cell?
an undifferentiated cell that can divide into many more cells of the same type
where are stem cells found?
•adult bone marrow
•in early human embryos
•in the meristems of plants
what are the advantages of using stem cells from adult bone marrow?(3)
*they can be used to cure diseases e.g. the bone marrow of a healthy person can replace faulty blood cells in the patient who receives them
*there are less ethical concerns associated with this as you can receive consent
*bone marrow is easier to obtain than embryonic cells
what are the disadvantages of using stem cells from adult bone marrow?(4)
*Unlike embryo cells, they can’t turn into any cell type at all, apart from certain ones such as blood cells
*requires voluntary donors and consent
*bone marrow extraction can cause pain to an individual (patients do recover quickly though)
*more of a risk of rejection than embryonic cells
what are the advantages of using stem cells from embryonic cells?(4)
*can grow into any cell type which could replace faulty cells in patients e.g.
nerves cells for people with spinal issues
*can be used in therapeutic cloning (the embryo could be made to have the same genetic information as the patient as well as the stem cells so less of a risk of rejection in patient)
*can grow new organs for transplants
*better than wasting discarded embryos from IVF
what are the disadvantages of using stem cells from embryonic cells?(4)
*stem cells grown in a lab may become contaminated with a virus which could be passed on to the patient making them sicker
*possible risk of contracting cancer if cells continue to divide
*ethically, people may feel embryos shouldn’t be used for experiments as each one is a potential human life
*the embryo cannot give permission
what is a zygote?
a fertilised egg (when egg and sperm fuse)
what is differentiation?
the process in which a cell changes to become specialised for it’s job
what can meristem tissue be used for?
•they can differentiate into any type of plant cell and used to produce clones of whole plants quickly and cheaply
•they can be used to grow more plants of rare species to prevent them from being wiped out
•they can be used to grow crops of identical crops with desires features for farming e.g. disease resistance
