Stem Cells Flashcards
What is a stem cell?
A stem cell is an undifferentiated cell that can divide to produce lots more undifferentiated cells. They can differentiate into different types of cell, depending on what instructions they’re given.
Where are stem cells found in humans?
Stem cells are found in early human embryos. They have the potential to turn into any kind of cell at all.
Adults also have stem cells, but they’re only found in certain places, like bone marrow. Unlike embryonic stem cells, they can’t turn into any cell type at all, only certain ones, such as blood cells.
Where can stem cells from embryos and bone marrow be grown?
Stem cells from embryos and bone marrow can be grown in a lab to produce clones, which are genetically identical cells, and made to differentiate into specialised cells to use in medicine or research.
How are adult stem cells already curing diseases?
Medicine already uses adult stem cells to cure disease. For example, stem cells transferred from the bone marrow of a healthy person can replace faulty blood cells in the patient who receives them.
How could embryonic stem cells be used to replace faulty cells in sick people in the future?
Embryonic stem cells could be used to replace faulty cells in sick people. They could differentiate into insulin-producing cells for people with diabetes and nerve cells for people paralysed by spinal injuries.
What happens in therapeutic cloning?
In 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 and so wouldn’t be rejected by the patient’s body if used to replace faulty cells.
What is a risk involved in using stem cells in medicine?
Stem cells grown in the lab may become contaminated with a virus, which could be passed on to the patient making them sicker.
Why are some people against stem cell research?
Some people are against stem cell research because they feel that human embryos shouldn’t be used for experiments since each one is a potential human life. These campaigners feel that scientists should concentrate more on finding and developing other sources of stem cells, so people could be helped without having to use embryos. In some countries stem cell research is banned. It’s allowed in the UK under strict guidelines.
Why are some people for stem cell research?
Some people think that curing existing patients who are suffering is far more important than the rights of embryos. Embryos used in research are usually unwanted ones from fertility clinics which, if they weren’t used for research, would probably just be destroyed.
Where are stem cells found in plants?
In plants, stem cells are found in the meristems, part of the plant where growth occurs. Throughout the plant’s entire life, cells in the meristem tissues can differentiate into any type of plant cell.
Why would farmers clone plants using stem cells?
Stem cells can be used to grow crops of identical plants that have desired features for farmers, for example, disease resistance.
What is the positive of using stem cells from meristem tissues to produce clones of whole plants?
These stem cells can be used to produce clones of whole plants quickly and cheaply.
How can stem cells from meristem tissues help prevent the extinction of plants of rare species?
They can be used to grow more plants of rare species to prevent them being wiped out.
