Stem cells

Question 1

what is a stem cell?

Answer 1

an undifferentiated cell that divides by mitosis to produce other stem cells and that can differentiate into different types of cell

Question 2

totipotent

Answer 2

a cell that can divide by mitosis to produce other totipotent cells that can differentiate into ANY other cell type.

Question 3

pluripotent

Answer 3

a cell that can divide by mitosis to produce the same pluripotent cell type and that can differentiate into MOST other cell types

Question 4

differentiated

Answer 4

a cell that has particular genes permanently switched on or off and is specialised to perform a particular function

Question 5

3 examples of multipotent stem cells

Answer 5

neural stem cells, blood stem cells and muscle stem cells

Question 6

what are the For’s for embryonic stem cells

Answer 6

they are not human so require no moral attention, spare embryos are destroyed anyway and the benefit to humans outweighs the ethical concerns

Question 7

what are the Against’s for embryonic stem cells

Answer 7

embryos cannot give consent, equivalent to murder

Question 8

somatic cell nuclear transfer

Answer 8

remove nucleus of an unfertilised egg cell and add nucleus from patients body cell, culture the cell and put into the patients so the new cells are not rejected as it had the patients own nucleus so wont trigger immune response.

Question 9

3 dangers of stem cell therapy

Answer 9

risk of infection when injecting stem cells, the patients body may reject the stem cells and their is a risk that the stem cells with become cancerous