cellular differentiation 4

• Cellular differentiation

  The process by which a cell expresses certain genes to produce proteins characteristic for that type of cell, allowing the cell to carry out specialised functions
• Meristems


  Regions of unspecialised cells in plants that can divide and self-renew, where cellular differentiation takes place
• Types of stem cells

  • Embryonic stem cells
  • Tissue (adult) stem cells
• Stem cells


  Unspecialised cells in animals that can divide (or self-renew) and/or differentiate
• Embryonic stem cells


  Cells in an early embryo that can differentiate into all cell types that make up the organism, and have all their genes switched on, making them pluripotent
• Tissue stem cells


  Involved in the growth, repair and renewal of cells found in a particular tissue, and are multipotent as they can differentiate into all the types of cell found in that tissue
• Tissue stem cells

  • Blood stem cells located in the bone marrow can only give rise to all types of blood cells
• Therapeutic uses of stem cells

  Repair of damaged or diseased organs or tissues, under the right conditions embryonic stem cells can self-renew
• Therapeutic uses of stem cells

  • Corneal repair, regeneration of damaged skin
• Stem cell research


  Provides information on cell processes such as cell growth, differentiation and gene regulation, and uses stem cells as model cells to study disease development and drug testing
• Use of embryonic stem cells


  Can offer effective treatments for disease and injury, but involves the destruction of embryos