cell biology

• What are stem cells?


  An unspecialised cell that is able to differentiate into other types of cells.
• What is the function of stem cells in embryos?


  • They can replicate themselves and differentiate into other types of cells.
  • They can treat conditions such as paralysis and diabetes as they can divide to replace damaged cells.
• What is the function of stem cells in adult bone marrow?


  • They can differentiate into several cell types to replace dead or damaged tissues, like different types of blood cell.
• What is the function of stem cells in plant meristems?


  They can differentiate into any type of plant cell.
• What is therapeutic cloning?


  It is a cloning method where an embryo is produced with the same genetic makeup as the patient.
• What are positives of therapeutic cloning?


  • They can create healthy cells that are genetically identical the the patient.
  • The patients body will not reject stem cells embryo's.
• What are the negatives of therapeutic cloning?


  • ethical concerns
  • it is difficult to obtain and store embryonic stem cells + to find suitable stem cell donors
  • expensive
• What are advantages of cloning plants using meristem stem cells?


  • Can prevent rare plants from becoming extinct.
  • Can produce large numbers of plants with a favourable characteristic.
  • Can produce identical plants for research.