stem cells in medicine

Cards (25)

  • How can stem cells be used to treat diabetes?
    By replacing damaged pancreas cells
  • What condition can stem cells potentially treat related to paralysis?
    By producing healthy nerve cells
  • What are the two important features of stem cells?
    They can divide by mitosis and differentiate
  • What are the two main types of stem cells?
    Embryonic and adult stem cells
  • Where are embryonic stem cells found?
    In the early embryo
  • What can adult stem cells differentiate into?
    Different types of blood cells
  • What causes type 1 diabetes?
    Damage to pancreas cells producing insulin
  • What is sickle cell anemia caused by?
    Misshapen red blood cells
  • What is the basic idea behind using stem cells in medicine?
    To replace faulty cells with healthy ones
  • How do scientists typically obtain embryonic stem cells?
    By extracting them from early embryos
  • What is the process to treat a diabetic patient using stem cells?
    Differentiate stem cells into pancreas cells
  • What is a drawback of using embryonic stem cells?
    Limited supply and ethical issues
  • Why might a patient's immune system reject stem cells?
    Different genomes between embryo and patient
  • How can the risk of rejection be reduced?
    By suppressing the patient's immune system
  • What is a benefit of using adult stem cells?
    They can be taken from the patient themselves
  • What is a limitation of adult stem cells?
    They can only differentiate into blood cells
  • What are the two potential risks involved with using stem cells?
    Virus transmission and tumor development
  • What does virus transmission refer to in stem cell therapy?
    Infected donor cells transferring virus to patients
  • What is tumor development in the context of stem cells?
    Stem cells dividing uncontrollably after transplantation
  • What is the ethical objection to using embryonic stem cells?
    Potential for human life in embryos
  • What do some people believe is more important than embryo rights?
    The benefits of curing suffering individuals
  • Where do the embryos used in research typically come from?
    Unwanted embryos from fertility clinics
  • How is embryonic stem cell research regulated in the UK?
    It is legal but tightly controlled
  • What are the main applications of stem cells in medicine?
    • Treating diabetes by replacing pancreas cells
    • Treating paralysis by producing healthy nerve cells
    • Treating sickle cell anemia by creating healthy blood cells
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of using embryonic versus adult stem cells?
    Strengths of embryonic stem cells:
    • Can differentiate into any cell type
    • Potential for treating various conditions

    Weaknesses of embryonic stem cells:
    • Limited supply
    • Ethical concerns
    • Risk of immune rejection

    Strengths of adult stem cells:
    • Easy to obtain
    • Lower risk of rejection

    Weaknesses of adult stem cells:
    • Limited to blood cell differentiation
    • Less versatile for treating various conditions