Stem Cells Flashcards
Unspecialized cells; not sure what they want to be
Stem cells
What are differentiated cells?
Carry out certain functions
What does it mean to differentiate?
Become more specialized
What is the primary goal of stem cell research?
To grow different functioning cells. Understand what goes wrong when disease occurs
Formed as a normal part of embryonic development
Embryonic stem cells
What are the benefits of the embryonic stem cells?
Can be grown into any cell, source of treating diseases
What is controversial about the embryonic stem cell?
Cells are still alive
Exist naturally in the body
Somatic stem cells
What are the benefits of somatic stem cells?
Can be transplanted from patient to donor without drugs, can become a subset of related cell types
Where can you get somatic stem cells from?
Bone marrow, blood, brain, muscle, gut, heart, skin
What are the disadvantages of somatic cells?
Difficult to isolate and grow in culture
Created in lab by reprogramming a patient’s cell
Induced pluripotent stem cells
What are induced pluripotent cells made from?
Skin and cells that produce connective tissue
What are the benefits of induced pluripotent cells?
Can become any cell in the body, can be a promising source of cells to treat diseases, no danger to immune system rejecting cell, less expensive
Directs the sequence of events that turn a blob of cells into any embryo with specialized tissues and organs
Gastrulation
How do cells in different parts of the embryo become different kinds of cells and organs?
Location, DNA
Have directions to make proteins when turned on
Genes
What kinds of proteins are found in different cells and organs?
Collagen, keratin, crystalin, actin, myosin, hemoglobin
Tells cells which kinds of proteins to make
DNA
What is he relationship between DNA, genes and proteins produced in cells?
DNA is wrapped around protein, DNA tells genes what to turn on and genes tell what proteins are needed to be made
How might a stem cell be used to treat a disease?
Scaffolding
What are embryonic stem cells referred to as because of their ability to become any cell they want?
Pluripotent
What are somatic cells referred to as because they are less flexible in their ability to become any cell they want?
Multipotent
