Differentiation & Specialised cells

Cards (19)

  • Differentiation is the process in which a cell changes to become specialised
  • Examples of human specialised cells:
    • Muscle cell
    • Skin cell
    • Nerve cell
    • Sperm and egg cells
  • Examples of plant stem cells:
    • Xylem
    • Phloem
    • Root hair
  • Nerve cells are adapted to transmit messages from one part of the body to another
  • Red blood cells and root hair cells are adapted to their roles by having a large surface area
  • Cells that are adapted to perform a particular function are called specialised cells.
  • Stem cells

    Cells that can divide by mitosis to produce more cells and can differentiate into different types of specialized cells
  • Types of stem cells
    • Embryonic stem cells
    • Adult stem cells
  • Embryonic stem cells

    • Found in the early embryo
    • Can differentiate into any type of specialized cell
  • Adult stem cells
    • Found in the bone marrow
    • Can only differentiate into different types of blood cells
  • Many conditions are due to faulty cells that are damaged or don't work properly
  • Using stem cells to treat conditions
    1. Extract stem cells
    2. Grow them in a lab
    3. Stimulate them to differentiate into desired cell type
    4. Transplant into patient
  • Conditions that can be treated with stem cells
    • Diabetes
    • Paralysis
    • Sickle cell anemia
  • Drawbacks of using embryonic stem cells
    • Limited supply
    • Ethical issues
    • Risk of rejection by patient's immune system
  • Advantages of using adult stem cells

    • Easy to obtain
    • No risk of rejection as it is from the patient themselves
  • Limitations of adult stem cells

    • Can only differentiate into blood cells
  • Potential risks of using stem cells
    • Virus transmission
    • Tumor development
  • Some people object to using embryonic stem cells on religious or moral grounds as they have the potential for human life
  • Embryos used for research are usually unwanted ones from fertility clinics that would otherwise be destroyed