unit 1 KA4 - cellular differentiation Flashcards
what is cellular differentiation
the process by which a cell expresses certain genes to produce proteins characteristic for that type of cell. this allows a cell to carry out specialized functions
what are meristems
regions of unspecialised cells in plants that can divide (self-renew) and/or differentiate
what are stem cells
unspecialised cells in animals that can divide (self-renew) and/or differentiate
what are embryonic stem cells
cells in the very early embryo can differentiate into all the cell types that make up the organism and so are pluripotent.
because all the genes can be switched on, they can differentiate into any type of cell
what are tissue stem cells involved in
the growth, repair and renewal of the cells found in that tissue. they are multipotent
why are tissue stem cells multipotent
because they can differentiate into all of the types of cell found in a particular issue type. for example, blood stem cells located in bone marrow can give rise to all types of blood cell
what are therapeutic uses of stem cells
- they involve the repair of damaged or diseased organs and tissues
- corneal repair and the regeneration of damaged skin
can stem cells be self-renewed in the lab
yes, under the right conditions
what are research uses of stem cells
- they involve being used as model cells to study how diseases develop or being used for drug testing
what does stem cell research provide information on
how different cell processes such as cell growth growth, differentiation and gene regulation work
what are the ethical issues of using embryonic stem cells
they can offer effective treatments for disease and injury; however, it involves the destruction of embryos