Stem Cells

What is the ability of Stem cells?

They can divide to produce a more stem cells and they can differentiate into any type of cell.

Whare are stem cells found?

Early human embryos

Where are adult stem cells found?

In the bone marrow

How are Adult Stem cells different from Embryo stem cells?

Embryo stem cells can differentiate into any type of cell whereas Adult stem cells can only differentiate into certain types, such as blood cells.

Why do labs clone stem cells?

To differentiate them for medical purposes

What is one use of Stem cells?

They can cure diseases

Give one example of how Adult stem cells can cure a disease.

Stem cells can be trasnferred from a health person can be used to replace faulty blood cells in the patient who receives them.

Give one example of how Embryonic stem cells can cure a disease.

Embryonic stem cells can make insuling-producing cells for people with diabetes, nerve cells for people paralysed by spinal injuries.

Why are people against stem cell research?

Some argue that human embryos are a potential life wasted.

Other think that a patient’s pain is more significant than embryo sacrifice.

They argue that embryos used in research are usually unwanted ones from fertility clinics, which if weren’t used would be destroyed.

In some countries it is banned, in the UK it is allowed but under strict rules.

Where can stem cells be found in plants?

Meristem - these can differentiate into any type of cell

What are meristem stem cells used for?

• Produce clones of a plant quickly and cheaply

• grow rare species

• disease resistance