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Cell Biology
Stem Cells
Differentiation & Specialised cells
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Created by
Sivagami Kuthalalingam
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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