unit 1 KA4 - cellular differentiation

Question 1

what is cellular differentiation

Answer 1

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

Question 2

what are meristems

Answer 2

regions of unspecialised cells in plants that can divide (self-renew) and/or differentiate

Question 3

what are stem cells

Answer 3

unspecialised cells in animals that can divide (self-renew) and/or differentiate

Question 4

what are embryonic stem cells

Answer 4

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

Question 5

what are tissue stem cells involved in

Answer 5

the growth, repair and renewal of the cells found in that tissue. they are multipotent

Question 6

why are tissue stem cells multipotent

Answer 6

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

Question 7

what are therapeutic uses of stem cells

Answer 7

• they involve the repair of damaged or diseased organs and tissues
• corneal repair and the regeneration of damaged skin

Question 8

can stem cells be self-renewed in the lab

Answer 8

yes, under the right conditions

Question 9

what are research uses of stem cells

Answer 9

• they involve being used as model cells to study how diseases develop or being used for drug testing

Question 10

what does stem cell research provide information on

Answer 10

how different cell processes such as cell growth growth, differentiation and gene regulation work

Question 11

what are the ethical issues of using embryonic stem cells

Answer 11

they can offer effective treatments for disease and injury; however, it involves the destruction of embryos