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Questions and Answers
Which type of stem cell is obtained from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst?
Which type of stem cell is obtained from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst?
What is a key ethical concern associated with embryonic stem cells?
What is a key ethical concern associated with embryonic stem cells?
Which type of stem cell can be generated from somatic cells through genetic reprogramming?
Which type of stem cell can be generated from somatic cells through genetic reprogramming?
What is the potency level of tissue stem cells?
What is the potency level of tissue stem cells?
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Which of the following is a limitation of using induced pluripotent stem cells?
Which of the following is a limitation of using induced pluripotent stem cells?
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What is cellular differentiation?
What is cellular differentiation?
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Which is a unique property of stem cells?
Which is a unique property of stem cells?
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What are induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)?
What are induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)?
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Which type of stem cells comes from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst?
Which type of stem cells comes from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst?
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What is the main process that controls cellular differentiation?
What is the main process that controls cellular differentiation?
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Which of the following best describes morphogenesis?
Which of the following best describes morphogenesis?
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One potential application of stem cells includes:
One potential application of stem cells includes:
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What is a significant ethical issue surrounding stem cells?
What is a significant ethical issue surrounding stem cells?
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What type of cells do mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into?
What type of cells do mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into?
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What is the primary method used to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells?
What is the primary method used to create induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells?
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Which of the following is NOT an advantage of induced pluripotent stem cells?
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of induced pluripotent stem cells?
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Induced pluripotent stem cells behave similarly to which type of stem cell?
Induced pluripotent stem cells behave similarly to which type of stem cell?
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What key factor is added to adult cells to induce them into pluripotent stem cells?
What key factor is added to adult cells to induce them into pluripotent stem cells?
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Which of the following describes reproductive cloning?
Which of the following describes reproductive cloning?
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What is a significant concern regarding the long-term use of induced pluripotent stem cells?
What is a significant concern regarding the long-term use of induced pluripotent stem cells?
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Which type of cloning is used for molecular purposes?
Which type of cloning is used for molecular purposes?
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What is somatic-cell transfer (SCT)?
What is somatic-cell transfer (SCT)?
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What is a potential benefit of therapeutic cloning?
What is a potential benefit of therapeutic cloning?
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Which of the following conditions might be treated using stem cells?
Which of the following conditions might be treated using stem cells?
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What ethical concern is associated with SCT in human cells?
What ethical concern is associated with SCT in human cells?
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Which type of cloning aims to generate cell lines with the same genome as the donor?
Which type of cloning aims to generate cell lines with the same genome as the donor?
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What is a challenging aspect of studying disease processes using stem cells?
What is a challenging aspect of studying disease processes using stem cells?
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In which country is there no regulation for stem cell research?
In which country is there no regulation for stem cell research?
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What is an established example of therapeutic use of stem cells?
What is an established example of therapeutic use of stem cells?
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What is the primary ethical concern mentioned regarding the destruction of embryos in stem cell research?
What is the primary ethical concern mentioned regarding the destruction of embryos in stem cell research?
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What distinguishes induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) from embryonic stem cells (hES cells)?
What distinguishes induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) from embryonic stem cells (hES cells)?
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Which of the following describes the property of stem cells that allows them to replicate and maintain their numbers indefinitely?
Which of the following describes the property of stem cells that allows them to replicate and maintain their numbers indefinitely?
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What is the concern with using somatic-cell transfer (SCT) in stem cell research?
What is the concern with using somatic-cell transfer (SCT) in stem cell research?
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Which type of stem cells is known to be pluripotent?
Which type of stem cells is known to be pluripotent?
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What main characteristic allows cells to become specialized through cellular differentiation?
What main characteristic allows cells to become specialized through cellular differentiation?
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Should legislation differ for iPS cells compared to hES cells?
Should legislation differ for iPS cells compared to hES cells?
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What question regarding the beginning of life is raised in the context of stem cell research?
What question regarding the beginning of life is raised in the context of stem cell research?
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What is the main driver behind cellular differentiation?
What is the main driver behind cellular differentiation?
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Which of the following best describes the concept of morphogenesis?
Which of the following best describes the concept of morphogenesis?
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What provides the unique properties of stem cells?
What provides the unique properties of stem cells?
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Which of the following accurately differentiates between tissue stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)?
Which of the following accurately differentiates between tissue stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)?
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What is a primary factor that limits the applications of embryonic stem cells?
What is a primary factor that limits the applications of embryonic stem cells?
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What is one fundamental aspect of developmental biology that cellular differentiation relates to?
What is one fundamental aspect of developmental biology that cellular differentiation relates to?
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What is a key application of stem cells in medicine?
What is a key application of stem cells in medicine?
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Which stage of human development is linked with the formation of a blastocyst?
Which stage of human development is linked with the formation of a blastocyst?
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Where can tissue stem cells be found?
Where can tissue stem cells be found?
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What type of cells can haematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow differentiate into?
What type of cells can haematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow differentiate into?
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What key characteristic distinguishes tissue stem cells from committed progenitor cells?
What key characteristic distinguishes tissue stem cells from committed progenitor cells?
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Which of the following statements about tissue stem cells is incorrect?
Which of the following statements about tissue stem cells is incorrect?
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What is a common type of tissue stem cell found in the bone marrow?
What is a common type of tissue stem cell found in the bone marrow?
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Which statement best describes the function of transient amplifying cells?
Which statement best describes the function of transient amplifying cells?
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Which option correctly describes tissue stem cells?
Which option correctly describes tissue stem cells?
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What distinguishes multipotent tissue stem cells from specialized cells?
What distinguishes multipotent tissue stem cells from specialized cells?
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What is the main advantage of using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) over embryonic stem cells?
What is the main advantage of using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) over embryonic stem cells?
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Which genes are crucial for the genetic reprogramming of adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells?
Which genes are crucial for the genetic reprogramming of adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells?
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What is a primary method of cloning used for creating identical copies of DNA?
What is a primary method of cloning used for creating identical copies of DNA?
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Induced pluripotent stem cells are similar to which other type of stem cell in behavior?
Induced pluripotent stem cells are similar to which other type of stem cell in behavior?
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What is one significant long-term concern regarding induced pluripotent stem cells?
What is one significant long-term concern regarding induced pluripotent stem cells?
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Which statement accurately describes the purpose of therapeutic cloning?
Which statement accurately describes the purpose of therapeutic cloning?
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What distinguishes somatic-cell transfer from other cloning types?
What distinguishes somatic-cell transfer from other cloning types?
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In what way do mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate in the body?
In what way do mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate in the body?
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Which of the following is a characteristic feature of pluripotent stem cells?
Which of the following is a characteristic feature of pluripotent stem cells?
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What are the primary sources of tissue stem cells?
What are the primary sources of tissue stem cells?
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What ethical concern is commonly raised regarding the use of embryonic stem cells?
What ethical concern is commonly raised regarding the use of embryonic stem cells?
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What is a notable limitation of induced pluripotent stem cells?
What is a notable limitation of induced pluripotent stem cells?
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Which term best describes the ability of stem cells to develop into multiple cell types?
Which term best describes the ability of stem cells to develop into multiple cell types?
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What is the main goal of therapeutic cloning?
What is the main goal of therapeutic cloning?
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Which of the following is a potential application of stem cells?
Which of the following is a potential application of stem cells?
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What does somatic-cell transfer (SCT) involve?
What does somatic-cell transfer (SCT) involve?
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Which ethical concern is commonly associated with the use of embryonic stem cells?
Which ethical concern is commonly associated with the use of embryonic stem cells?
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What is a significant challenge in using SCT with human cells?
What is a significant challenge in using SCT with human cells?
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Which option represents a legitimate use of stem cells in regenerative medicine?
Which option represents a legitimate use of stem cells in regenerative medicine?
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What factor differentiates therapeutic cloning from reproductive cloning?
What factor differentiates therapeutic cloning from reproductive cloning?
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What is a primary reason for the variation in stem cell legislation worldwide?
What is a primary reason for the variation in stem cell legislation worldwide?
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Study Notes
Cellular Differentiation
- Cells within complex organisms differentiate to carry out specific functions
- All cells arise from a single fertilised egg cell, containing the same DNA
- Differential gene expression leads to cellular differentiation; different genes are expressed by different cells
Stem Cells
- Stem cells have two fundamental properties: self-renewal and differentiation
- Types of stem cells include:
- Embryonic stem cells (pluripotent): capable of giving rise to all cell types in the body
- Tissue stem cells (multipotent): capable of giving rise to a limited range of cell types within a specific tissue
- Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells): adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells
- iPS cells are created through genetic reprogramming: specific genes are added to an adult cell
- iPS cells offer advantages, like not requiring embryos and being genetically identical to the donor, but require large numbers of somatic cells and further research
- iPS cells can be differentiated into all possible types of specialized cells
- iPS cells were discovered by Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurdon, who received the 2012 Nobel Prize
Cloning
- There are Three types of cloning
- Reproductive cloning: produces genetically identical individuals
- Therapeutic cloning: produces patient-specific cell lines for therapeutic purposes
- Molecular cloning: used to make copies of DNA segments for research and other purposes
Applications of Stem Cells
- Stem cells have potential in regenerative medicine, e.g., treating Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes, and spinal cord injuries
- Stem cells can be used for drug testing and screening: large amounts of identical cells can be directed to produce specific cell types
- Stem cells are essential for studying disease processes: diseased cells can be used to model the disease
- Stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize medicine, but it raises ethical questions around morality, embryo use, and consent
Ethical Issues
- Stem cell research raises ethical questions, including:
- When does life begin?
- Are embryos equivalent to human beings?
- Do embryos have rights?
- Is the destruction of an embryo justified for therapeutic benefit?
- Are iPS cells as ethical as hES cells?
- Debate continues regarding the use of hES cells vs iPS cells, with iPS cells providing an alternative to hES cells, but potentially developing into a human embryo.
- iPS cells are not exactly the same as hES cells, but provide important controls for hES research.
- Legislation on stem cell research varies around the globe.
- Stem cell research is prohibited in many countries, however, some countries (US, UK, Australia) allow the creation of new cell lines from spare embryos from fertility clinics with donor consent.
- Ireland is one of the few European countries with no regulations on stem cell research.
Cellular differentiation and stem cell
- Cellular differentiation is the process by which less specialized cells become more specialized cell types.
- This happens due to differential gene expression: cells differentiate because they express different genes.
- Stem cells: are undifferentiated cells that can renew themselves and differentiate into specialized cell types.
- Stem cells are categorized into three main types: embryonic, tissue, and induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs)
- ESCs are derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst.
- They are pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into all cell types of the body.
- ESC research is controversial due to ethical concerns surrounding the destruction of embryos.
Tissue stem cells
- Tissue stem cells are found in various tissues throughout the body, including the surface of the eye, brain, skin, breast, testicles, intestines, bone marrow, and muscles.
- They are multipotent, able to differentiate into a limited number of cell types specific to their tissue of origin.
- Examples of tissue stem cells include hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) found in the bone marrow which can give rise to all types of blood cells, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) found in the bone marrow which can differentiate into bone, cartilage, and fat.
- Tissue stem cells play a crucial role in tissue renewal and repair.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS)
- iPS cells are created through genetic reprogramming by introducing four transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc) into adult cells.
- This process transforms adult cells into pluripotent stem cells capable of differentiating into all cell types.
- iPS cell technology was developed by Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurdon and awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
- iPS cells offer the potential for personalized regenerative medicine as they are genetically identical to the patient, minimizing the risk of immune rejection.
Applications of Stem Cells
- One of the most promising applications of stem cell research is in the field of regenerative medicine, aiming to replace cells lost due to diseases like Parkinson's, heart disease, diabetes, and spinal cord injury.
- Stem cells can be utilized for drug testing and screening by using large quantities of identical cells to study the effects of drugs.
- Studying disease processes in disease models utilizing diseased cells can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of disease development.
Ethical Issues Surrounding Stem Cell Research
- The use of embryonic stem cells raises ethical concerns due to the destruction of embryos.
- Ethical considerations regarding the informed consent of donors, particularly for embryonic stem cells, are crucial.
- While iPS cells offer an alternative to ESCs by avoiding embryo destruction, long-term effects of genetic reprogramming remain to be fully understood.
- The use of stem cells in research and therapeutic applications requires careful ethical consideration and appropriate legislation.
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Description
Explore the fascinating processes of cellular differentiation and the role of stem cells in organism development. This quiz covers various types of stem cells and their unique properties, including the mechanism of induced pluripotent stem cells. Test your understanding of how cells specialize and the implications for medical research.
