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Stem Cells (What is meant by these terms? (Potency - A stem cell's…
Stem Cells
What is meant by these terms?
Potency - A stem cell's ability to differentiate into different types of cell
Totipotent - Can differentiate into any type of cell
Pluripotent - Can form all tissue types but not the whole organisms
Multipotent - Can only form a range of cells within a certain type of tissue
Replacement of Blood Cells
Due to lack of organelles and nucleus, they have a short lifespan so have to be replaced constantly
Stem cells located in bone marrow
Neutrophils live about 6 hours
stem cells produce 1.6 billion / kg of neutrophils every hour
Uses of stem cells
Diseases it can treat
Heart disease
Type 1 Diabetes
Parkinson's disease
Alzheimer's
Macular degeneration
Treatments they can provide
Birth defects
Spinal injuries
Treatment of burns
Drug trials
Developmental biology
What problems can the division of stem cells cause?
If they don't divide fast enough, then tissues are not efficiently replaced
If there is uncontrolled division, then they could form tumours which can lead to the development of cancer
Explain how blood cells are differentiated for their function
Erythrocytes and Neutrophils look very different because they have different functions
All blood cells are derived from bone marrow
Stem Cell Ethics
Main objections
Relgious
Moral
murder
Embryo rights
Issues using stem cells from umbilical cords?
multipotent so usefulness is restricted
Sources of Stem Cells
Plant
found in meristematic tissue
pluripotent
differentiate into xylem or phloem tissues
Animal
embryonic and adult
embryonic = totipotent
adult = multipotent
can be extracted from umbilical cords
What are stem cells?
Undifferentiated cells that have potential to differentiate to become a specialised cell
What is meant by the term undifferentiated?
Not adapted to a particular function
What is the benefit of being a multicellular organism?
It can make use of resources more efficiently