Stem cells

Question 1

What are stem cells

Answer 1

Stem cells are cells that have the ability to become various types of cells. They are present both during embryonic development and in the adult body

Question 2

What does it mean when a cell is totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, unipotent

Answer 2

Totipotent is the ability to develop into a new organism eg. Zygote

Pluripotent is the ability to become any type of cell in the body eg. Embryonic stem cells found in the blastocyst

Multipotent is the ability to develop specific types of cells (terminally differentiate cells) eg. Blood cells that become red/white blood cells

Unipotent are cells once they are differentiated

Question 3

What is the process of a cell to become differentiated

Answer 3

Other genes in the cell will methylate as it will only express specific genes. Cells depend on cues to tell it what to turn into and these cues are further established by transcription factors (chemical in the cell that tells it what to turn on)

Fertilisation of egg & sperm into zygote then blastocyst (inner cell mass) and then specialised cells

Question 4

What makes stem cells different to other cells

Answer 4

1. They are self-sustaining & can continue to divide for a long period of time
2. They are unspecialised
3. They give rise to specialised cells (differentiation)