stem cells Flashcards
what are stem cells
divide to produce lots more undifferentiated cells.
they can differentiate into different types of cells
where are stem cell found
in early human embryos
where are stem cells made from embryos and bone marrow used for
they can be grown in labs to produce clones and made to differentiate into specialised cells to use in medicine and research
how can stem cells cure many diseases
stem cells transferred from the bone marrow of a healthy person can replace faulty blood cells in the patient who receives them
embryonic stem cells could also be used to replace faulty cells in sick people
what is therapeutic cloning
an embryo could be made to have the same genetic information as the patient. this means that the stem cells produced from it would also contain the same genes so it would not be rejected by the patient’s body if used to replace faulty cells
what are some risks of stem cell research
some people think that curing existing patients who are suffering is more important than the right of embryos.
some countries stem cell research is banned
how can stem cells produce identical plants
1) in plants, stem cells are found in the meristems(part of the plant where growth occurs)
2) throughout the plants entire life, cells in the meristem tissues can differentiate into any type of plant cell
3) these stem cells can be used to produce clones of whole plants quickly and cheaply
4) they can be used to grow more plants of rare species (to prevent them being wiped out)
5) stem cells can also be used to grow crops of identical plants that have desired features for farmers for example, disease resistance
