Stem Cells - UNIT 1

Question 1

Difference between Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissue Stem Cells?

Answer 1

• EMBRYONIC cells are PLURIPORTANT so make ALL OF DIFFERENTIATED CELL TYPES of the body
• TISSUE cells are MULTIPOTANT so can differentiate into a limited number of cell types)

Question 2

Epithelium tissue

Answer 2

Cover body surface and line body cavities

Question 3

Connective Tissue

Answer 3

includes blood, bone and cartilage

Question 4

Muscle Tissue

Answer 4

• form muscle tissue

- muscle cells can contract

Question 5

Nervous Tissue

Answer 5

• form nerve cells

- main component of the nervous system

Question 6

Why is cell division necessary in Somatic cells?

Answer 6

to allow organisms to grow, or to replace damaged cells and repair tissues

Question 7

What is a germline cell?

Answer 7

diploid cells that can divide by mitosis or by meiosis to produce haploid gametes

Question 8

Summarise meiosis

Answer 8

• Just before meiosis the DNA replicates itself
• a double division takes place so the nucleus is divided into 4 nuclei
• 4 new daughter cells are produced
• Each set of daughter chromosomes receives only one set of chromosomes
• At the end 4 haploid gametes are found

Question 9

Difference between Germline and Somatic cells?

Answer 9

• If mutation occurs in a germline cell, the mutation is PASSED onto the offspring
• If mutation occurs in a somatic cell, ITS NOT PASSED onto the offspring however it may lead to a localised change of phenotype

Question 10

2 areas stem cells are used to investigate

Answer 10

• how diseases develop

- drug testing

Question 11

Therapeutic value of stem cells

Answer 11

• Bone Marrow Transplant
• Skin Grafts
• Corneal Transplant

Question 12

How can cancer cells divide uncontrollably?

Answer 12

-cancer cells don’t respond to the usual regulatory signals and chemical messengers inside and outside the cell

Question 13

Examples of agents that can cause genetic damage leading to cancer?

Answer 13

• smoking
• drinking
• eating too much