Stem Cells

Question 1

what are stem cells

Answer 1

• undifferentiated cells which can be used to make different cells within the body.
• they can divide infinitely and are all identical to each other

Question 2

types of stem cells

Answer 2

EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS

SOMATIC STEM CELLS

Question 3

what are embryonic stem cells

Answer 3

the ‘primary’ cells found in an embryo that continuously replicated to form the organs and tissues of a fetus

Question 4

what are somatic stem cells

Answer 4

-stem cells found in adults found throughout the body for SELF RENEWAL and DIFFERENTIATION. Usually can only differentiate to its ‘organ of origin”

Question 5

what is differentiation

Answer 5

• it involves the expression of some genes and not others in the cell genome
• the ability of a cell to become any cell, as it hasn’t been given a ‘purpose’ yet

Question 6

why are stem cells practical

Answer 6

• they can be used for medical purposes (grow tissues, organs) +therapeutic uses
• repair tissue
• important for embryonic development
• cloning!

Question 7

what levels of potency exist + what is it

Answer 7

POTENCY: ability to differentiate

TOTIPOTENT: all possible cells (embryonic stem cells)
PLURIPOTENT: almost all cells
MULTIPOTENT: closely related family of cells
OLIGOPOTENT: few cells
UNIPOTENT: only cells of own type

Question 8

Discuss the ethics of stem cells

Answer 8

PRO

• suffering of patients could be reduced
• diseases could be cured
• better treatments developments (might even replace them with cure)
• less cost than treating disease/diabetes
• use of stem cells from adults/patients could overcome objections to production of embryos for stem cell research

CON

• patient groups support use of embryonic stem cells; religious groups oppose
• moral status views differs
• restriction on research in some countries due to cultural/religious traditions
• risk to patient (stem cells could develop tumors, rejection, need for immunosuppressants)
• death of early stage embryos

Question 9

how do multicellular organisms develop specialized tissues

Answer 9

only some genes are expressed in each cell type/tissue; tissues therefore develop differently/become differentiated’
for example: nerve cells (NEURONS) are differentiated and their function is to transmit messages from one part of your body to another, usually from the brain

Question 10

discuss stargarts diseseas

Answer 10

• stargardts diease is an inherited condition in which the gene that codes for the processing of VITAMIN A is defect
• vitamin A= important for the light-sensitive cells in the retina

cause= loss of central vision, then eventually, peripheral vision

how do stem cells have a role in it?
- produce the missing light-sensitive cells

Question 11

discuss leukemia

Answer 11

• leukiemia is the cancer within the blood (abnormal # of white blood cells)
• chemo kills cancer cells and normal rbc cells
• stem cells used to produce normal cells (rbc)

Question 12

give another example for a disease that can be related to stem cell therapy

Answer 12

parkinsons and alzeihmers