stem cells, cell differentiation and communication in multicellular organisms (like you!!!)
TRANSCRIPT
Stem Cell Basics
Unspecialized (undifferentiated) cells.
All of the stem cells contain the same DNA
Specific genes determine the type of cell
They have potential to become a specialized type (such as lung, liver, etc.)
They can also divide to create other stem cells
What is a stem cell?
Identical stem cells
Stem cell
SELF-RENEWAL(copying)
Stem cell
Specialized cells
DIFFERENTIATION(specializing)
In the Beginning…….
You were one of these!
Male sperm fuses (fertilizes) an egg.
This is the very first cell…….a Zygote (picture on the right)!!!
Embryonic Stem cells
**Versatile
**Have not differentiated into any particular type of cell
**Can be created in a (fertility clinics)
** Can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult body (Called Somatic Cells)
Adult Stem Cells
**Found throughout the body; bone marrow (left), muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, fat cells, cord blood…..
**replace dying and damaged tissues
**Can only develop into limited types of cells
DNA and Differentiation
**You have 46 total chromosomes (left)
**A zygote‘s DNA contains the instructions needed to become an organism
**Each cell only uses part of your DNA to differentiate into specific body cells called somatic cells; lung, heart, bone, etc.
**Once specialized, they do not become stem cells again