1.4 - cellular differentiation Flashcards
What is meant by cellular differentiation?
Process by which a cell expresses certain genes to produce proteins characteristic for that type of cell.
What is a meristem?
Region of unspecialised cells in plants capable of cell division and/or differentiation.
What is a stem cell?
Unspecialised cells in animals which can divide (self-renew) and/or differentiate to form specialised cells.
What is the difference between tissue (adult) stem cells and embryonic stem cells?
Tissue (adult) stem cells can only differentiate into all types of cell found in a particular tissue (multipotent) but embryonic stem cells can become all the cell types needed by the organism (pluripotent).
What does pluripotent mean?
Can differentiate into all the cell types that make up the organism.
What does multipotent mean?
Can differentiate into a limited range of cells/ all types of cell found in a particular tissue.
Why do organisms have tissue (adult) stem cells?
To grow, repair and replenish/renew differentiated cells that are found in tissues.
Why do people have ethical concerns with the use of embryonic stem cells?
Embryos get destroyed which some people think is the same as murder/ killing a potential life.
What are two therapeutic uses of stem cells?
Corneal repair and growing skin grafts for regeneration of damaged skin.
What are some of the ways that stem cells can be used in research?
Used as model cells to test drugs, used to study cell processes like cell growth, differentiation and gene regulation and to study how diseases develop.
Give an example of a tissue adult stem cell?
Blood stem cells in bone marrow which go on to differentiate into all the cells of the blood.
How can stem cells found in the embryo differentiate into all cell types?
All the genes in embryonic stem cells can be switched on.
What type of stem cells are pluripotent?
Embryonic stem cells.
What type of stem cells are multipotent?
Tissue stem cells.
What are two properties of stem cells?
- unspecialized
2. self-renew
