Stem Cells
Laura Armstrong & Joe Wolfensohn
Teachers
Contents
Recall Questions
This topic requires prior knowledge of cell differentiation and the stages of the cell cycle to understand the role of undifferentiated cells in growth and repair.
What is differentiation?
When a cell becomes specialised
Which type of cell division produces genetically identical cells?
Mitosis
Give one adaptation of a sperm cell?
Tail / flagellum, many mitochondria, acrosome, haploid nucleus
Topic Explainer Video
Check out this @JoeDoesBiology video that explains stem cells including embryonic, adult and meristem tissues in plants, then read the study notes. Once you’ve gone through them, don’t forget to try the practice questions!
Stem Cells
What Are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can divide to produce many more cells.
These cells will then differentiate (or specialise), producing other cell types.
Types of Stem Cells
1. Embryonic Stem Cells
- Found in early human embryos.
- Can differentiate into any type of cell.
- Used in research to treat conditions like paralysis and diabetes.
2. Adult Stem Cells
- Found in bone marrow and some other tissues.
- Can differentiate into a limited range of cells (e.g., blood cells).
- Used in medicine (e.g., bone marrow transplants for leukaemia).
3. Plant Stem Cells (Meristems)
- Found in growing regions (e.g., shoot tips, root tips).
- Can differentiate into any type of plant cell throughout the plant's life.
- Used to produce clones of plants quickly and cheaply.
Key Terms
- Stem cell – undifferentiated cell that can divide to produce many more cells.
- Differentiation – when a cell becomes specialised.
- Meristem – plant region with stem cells.
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Exam Tip
- Always link the type of stem cell to its ability to differentiate. Embryonic stem cells are incredibly useful as they can differentiate into any cell type.
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Practice Question
A patient requires new nerve cells to treat paralysis. Suggest which type of stem cell would be best to use, justify your answer. (2 marks)
Embryonic stem cells
They can differentiate into any cell type, including nerve cells
More Practice
Try to answer these practice questions from the TikTok videos on your own, then watch the videos to see how well you did!