Stem cells Flashcards
(20 cards)
What are stem cells?
Undifferentiated cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation
What is totipotency?
Ability to form all embryonic and extraembryonic tissues
What is pluripotency?
Ability to form all embryonic tissues
What is multipotency?
Ability to form multiple cell types within a tissue
What are embryonic stem cells (ESCs)?
Pluripotent cells from the ICM of the blastocyst
What maintains ESC self-renewal in mice?
Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF)
What factors maintain pluripotency?
Oct4, Sox2, Nanog
What are adult stem cells?
Multipotent stem cells in tissues
What are iPSCs?
Induced pluripotent stem cells - reprogrammed somatic cells
What are the Yamanaka factors?
Oct4, Sox2, Klf5, c-Myc
What is asymmetric division?
One stem cell and one differentiated daughter cell
What is symmetric division?
Two identical stem or differentiated cells
What is a stem cell niche?
Microenvironment that regulates stem cell fate
Name one adult stem cell niche
Bone marrow (for HSCs)
Hair follicle bulge
What is Wharton’s jelly rich in?
Mesenchymal stem cells
What are organoids?
Mini-organs grown from stem cells in vitro
What risk is associated with ESCs?
Teratoma formation
What is the first tissue ESCs can form in vitro?
Embryoid bodies (representing 3 germ layers)
What is clonal expansion?
A single stem cell producing many identical descendants
What signals regulate stem cells?
Wnt, BMP, Notch, FGF
