Stem cells Flashcards
What are stem cells?
Unspecialised cells which can develop into other types of cells and can replace themselves
What are the different types of stem cells?
Totipotent
Pluripotent
Multipotent
Unipotent
What are totipotent stem cells?
Stem cells that can develop into any type of body cell, collected from embryos
What are pluripotent stem cells?
They can specialise into any body cell except supporting tissues for foetal development
What are multipotent cells?
They can differentiate into a few different types of cell including red and white blood cells
Where are multipotent cells found?
Bone marrow
What are unipotent cells?
Only differentiate into one type of cell
When do stem cells become specialised?
During their development the only transcribe and translate part of their DNA
What happens to stem cells to become specialised?
Under one set of conditions, certain genes are expressed and others are switched off.
Under different conditions, different genes are expressed and other are switched off
What happens when the gene is expressed?
mRNA is transcribed and translated into proteins, the proteins modify the cell so the cell then becomes specialised for a particular function
What happens when the gene is switched off?
the mRNA is not transcribed or translated and the proteins to modify the cell aren’t produced
What are cardiomyocytes?
Heart muscle cells
How can heart muscle cells replace themselves?
Replaced by new cardiomyocytes derived from a small supply of unipotent stem cells in the heart
