Summary of the Video
This video talks about what a stem cell is and what characteristics it has to have to be considered a stem cell. One is self-renewal. This is basically a characteristic that enables a stem cell to split up into to other daughter cells that are exactly identical to the first stem cell. The other characteristic is differentiation. This involves producing cells that could be used for specialized purposes, like red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.
Context
Stem cells are important because they form all the other cells in the body when a baby is young. All the specialized organs and muscles that make us who we are are made up from stem cells. In an adult, stem cells can be used for repairing cells lost due to normal wear and tear, since all stem cells have the ability to produce cells for specialized purpose. Right now, stem cells are used to screen new medications and make models to study normal growth and identify the causes of birth defects.Stem cell research can also enable us to treat deadly diseases such as diabetes and heart disease in the future. We might even be able to build organs for transplants in the future!
Relevance to Class
This week we learnt about the cell and how it works.We learn about eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells and all the organelles associated with the metabolic functions of the cell. In fact, a stem cell is a eukaryotic cell that carries out all these functions. It is just like any other cell, except it has two differentiation factors that make it a stem cell. Also, in chapter 9, we learn about the cell cycle and cell replication, which can also be linked to stem cell.
Video Information
URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqFApCWF3DQ
Date of Publication: June 3, 2012
YouTube Username: IVACM
Date of Publication: June 3, 2012
YouTube Username: IVACM
Sources
Hi Gopi, my question is would a human be able to survive without stem cells present in their bodies?
ReplyDeleteI would speculate and say that we do not need stem cells to survive, even if we have some in our bone marrow, since stem cells are only needed at birth to make all other cells. As Kevin said, stem cells are confusing for scientists, so we don't know much about them.
DeleteThanks for responding Kevin
According to the Mayo Clinic, (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stem-cells/CA00081) the answer is yes. Stem cells are most often found in the embryo that's 4 to 5 years old. Stem Cells are still a confusing topic for scientists to understand, they hope that in the future, it'll help them combat diseases and replace cells that are damaged beyond repair.
ReplyDeleteHi Gopi, what differentiates a stem cell from any other non-stem cell?
ReplyDeleteThis is basically what I talked about in the summary, where the two characteristics make a cell a stem cell. Self-renewal is the process of a stem cell splitting and producing 2 identical stem cells (exactly identical). The second characteristic is differentiation, where a stem cell can produce other kinds of cells with specific functions, like red blood cells, nephrons, etc. These 2 characteristics identify a stem cell.
ReplyDelete