Cell differentiation and stem cell

Question 1

What is cell differentiation?

Answer 1

The process by which a single cell type develops into many different cell types.

Question 2

What does differentiation do to the cells?

Answer 2

Differentiation changes a cell’s size, shape, membrane potential, metabolic activity, and responsiveness to signals.

Question 3

How are stem cells characterised?

Answer 3

Stem cells are differentiation by the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division, and by differentiating into a diverse range of specialised cell types.

Question 4

What are the four sorts of stem cell types?

Answer 4

• Embryonic stem cells
• Embryonic germ cells
• Adult stem cells
• Umbilical cord blood stem cells

Question 5

What are the three types of stem cells?

Answer 5

• Totipotent
• Pluripotent
• Unipotent

Question 6

What are totipotent cells?

Answer 6

They are found in the embryo and have not begun the process of differentiation. They can turn into any cell type in the body.

Question 7

What are pluripotent cells?

Answer 7

They are the ‘children’ of totipotent cells (blastocysts) and can differentiate into nearly all cell types.

Question 8

What are multipotent cells?

Answer 8

They are cells that have begun the process of differentiation and can produce only one cell type (their own) but have the property of self-renewal which distinguishes them from non-stem cells.

Question 9

What are oligopotent cells?

Answer 9

They similar to multipotent stem cells can differentiate into only a few cell types, such as lymphoid or myeloid stem cells.

Question 10

What are two examples of specialised cells?

Answer 10

• Epithelial cells, the stratified squamous cells in the mouth, will divide to make new squamous cells.
• Once a skeletal muscle has differentiated it stops going through mitosis- new skeletal muscle tissue can only come from a skeletal muscle stem cell.