Stem Cells Flashcards

All 11 cards in this deck

What is a stem cell?

An undifferentiated (unspecialised) cell that can divide to make new cells and can differentiate into other types of cell.

What is the function of adult stem cells in animals?

They divide to make new cells that replace damaged or worn-out cells.
e.g. stem cells in bone marrow make new blood cells

What is a meristem?

A plant tissue containing stem cells, where cell division by mitosis takes place.

Where are meristems found in a plant?

At the tips of the roots and shoots.

What is the function of meristem cells in a plant?

They divide by mitosis and differentiate to produce new plant tissue, so the plant grows.
e.g. new xylem, root hair cells or leaf cells

True or false? Adult stem cells in animals can form any type of cell, just like meristem cells in plants.

False. Adult animal stem cells form only a limited range of cell types, while meristem cells can form any type of plant cell.

Give two conditions that stem cell therapy could be used to treat.

Diabetes and Parkinson's disease (also paralysis or arthritis).

Give two risks of using stem cell therapy to treat a patient.

The new cells may not function correctly, and the stem cells may keep dividing and develop into cancer. The patient may also reject the cells.

Give one benefit of reprogramming a patient's own adult cells to have the properties of embryonic stem cells.

Embryonic stem cells are not needed, so embryos are not destroyed (also: less chance of the patient rejecting their own cells).

Which types of specialised cell can embryonic stem cells differentiate into?

Any type of specialised cell – unlike adult stem cells, which can only form a limited range.

Give one ethical objection to using embryonic stem cells in medicine.

Collecting the cells destroys the embryo, and some people believe every embryo is a potential human life.