stem cells

• what is a stem cell?

  an unspecialised cell that can differentiate into other cell types
• what is the function of stem cells in adult bone marrow?

  can form many types of cells, including blood cells
• what is the function of stem cells in embryos?

  can be cloned & made to differentiate into most different types of human cells
• what is the function of stem cells in meristem tissue?

  can differentiate into any type of plant cell throughout the life of the plant
• what are some conditions stem cells can treat?

  • diabetes
  • paralysis
• what is therapeutic cloning?

  when an embryo is produced with the same genes as the patient, they aren't rejected by the patients body so can be used for medical treatment
• pros of cloning plants using meristem stem cells:

  • can prevent rare species going extinct by cloning
  • can produce identical plants for research
  • can produce large numbers of plants w a favourable characteristic
• pros of bone marrow stem cells:

  • patient gives consent
  • relatively safe procedure
  • reliable technique
  • patients recover quickly
• cons of bone marrow stem cellS:

  • risk of infection from surgery
  • can only treat a few diseases
  • painful procedure
• pros of embryonic stem cells:

  • can create many embryo in a lab
  • painless technique
  • can treat many diseases
• cons of embryonic stem cells:

  • death to embryo
  • embryo rights- cannot consent