Stem Cell Overview
Key Concepts of Stem Cells
Stem Cell: Unspecialized cells that can differentiate into specialized cells.
Differentiation: The process by which stem cells become specialized for specific functions.
Totipotent Cells: Can develop into any cell type, including extraembryonic tissues.
Pluripotent Cells: Can develop into most cell types but not all.
Multipotent Cells: Have limited potential to differentiate into a few cell types.
Types of Stem Cells
Embryonic Stem Cells: Pluripotent cells derived from embryos, capable of becoming any cell type.
Adult Stem Cells: Multipotent cells that help renew and replace cells in the adult body.
Specialized Cells: Thousands of different cell types, each performing unique functions.
Importance and Risks of Stem Cells
Stem cells are crucial for development and regeneration of tissues.
Pros of Stem Cell Research: Potential to treat diseases like heart disease, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.
Cons of Stem Cell Research: Ethical concerns regarding embryo destruction, risk of rejection, and potential for cancer.
Applications of Stem Cells
Stem cells can be used to grow new skin for burn victims, offering faster recovery than traditional grafts.
Challenges include the time required for growth and the risk of rejection by the body.
Potential applications in treating diseases like Parkinson's, improving quality of life.
Genetics Fundamentals
Key Genetic Concepts
Gene: A sequence of DNA that codes for a protein, determining traits.
Heredity: The transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
Allele: Different forms of a gene that can exist for a trait.
Genotype vs. Phenotype
Genotype: The genetic makeup of an organism.
Phenotype: The observable physical characteristics of an organism.
Example: Two brown-eyed parents can have a blue-eyed child if they carry a recessive allele.
Mendelian Genetics
Gregor Mendel, the 'Father of Genetics', studied inheritance patterns using pea plants.
Law of Dominance: Dominant alleles mask recessive alleles.
Law of Segregation: Alleles separate during gamete formation.
Punnett Squares and Inheritance Patterns
Punnett Squares help predict offspring genotypes and phenotypes based on parental alleles.
Example: For a trait with two alleles (B and b), possible combinations are B, b.
For multiple traits, combinations increase exponentially (2^n).
Summary of Mendel's Experiments
Mendel's Methodology
Results of Mendel's Experiments
1st Generation: All offspring had purple flowers, indicating purple is dominant.
2nd Generation: Some offspring had white flowers, proving the recessive trait's presence.
Implications of Mendel's Work
What is the difference between dominant and recessive traits?
Dominant traits: Always expressed when the connected allele is dominant, even if only one copy of the dominant trait exists.
Recessive traits: Expressed only if both the connected alleles are recessive. If one of the alleles is dominant, then the associated characteristic is less likely to manifest.
If a brown-eyed parent (Bb) and a blue-eyed parent (bb) have children, what are the chances their child will have blue eyes?
50% chance that their child will have blue eyes since both parents carry blue eyed gene.
What is an example of incomplete dominance?
Like a red and blue rose mixing and the flower being purple
Why do more males inherit color blindness than females?
Most color blindness genes are found on x chromosomes.
How can a pedigree help us study genetic traits in families?
Track genotypes and phenotypes in families and reveal the pattern of inheritance
How does meiosis create genetic diversity?
Makes new combination of gene variants
What is the role of polygenic inheritance in traits like height and skin color?
They are governed by more than one pair of genes
Polygenic Inheritance: a single inherited phenotypic trait controlled by two or more different genes.
Antibodies: Eliminate things in your body that aren't supposed to be in your immune system
Antigens: Markers that tell your body something in your body is foreign
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