Stem Cells Flashcards
What is differentiation?
It is the process by which a cell changes to become specialised for its job.
What is an undifferentiated cell called?
It is called a stem cell.
What can stem cells do?
They 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?
They are found in early human embryos.
Where are stem cells found in adults?
Bone marrow.
What is the difference between the stem cells in bone marrow and human embryos?
Bone marrow can’t turn into any type of cell at all only some like blood cells.
What can stem cells from embryos and bone marrow do?
They can be grown in a lab to form clones and made to differentiate into specialised cells to use in medicine and research.
What are clones?
Genetically identical cells.
What does medicine use adult stem cells for?
They use them to cure disease - transferring them the bone marrow of a healthy person can replace faulty blood cells in whoever receives them.
What does medicine use embryonic stem cells for?
They are used to replace faulty cells in sick people - insulin-producing cells for diabetic people - nerve cells for people that are paralysed from the spine.
What happens in therapeutic cloning?
Embryo is made to have the same genetic info 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 patients body if used to replace faulty cells.
What a risk in using stem cells for medicine?
Stem cells grown in the lab may become contaminated with a virus that could be passed on to the patient making them sicker.
Name two reasons why people are against stem cell research?
They feel human embryos shouldn’t be used for human experiments since each one is a potential life.
They feel that scientists should focus on finding and developing other sources of stem cells, so people could be helped without using embryos.
Where are stem cells found in plants?
In the meristems (parts of the plant where growth occurs)
How can stem cells produce identical plants?
Throughout the plants entire life cells in the meristem tissues can differentiate into any type of plant cell.
These stem cells can be used to produce clones of whole plants quickly and cheaply.
