Vocab
What is a blastocyst?
A hollow ball of cells that forms after approximately 4 days of human embryonic development
Define differentiation.
The process by which cells become specialized
What proteins regulate the cell cycle?
Cyclins
What are the stages of Mitosis?
(Interphase) Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase Cytokinesis
What is cancer?
Uncontrolled cell growth
Define Apoptosis
The process of programmed cell death
What is the difference between pluripotent and multipotent?
Pluri means cane become many different cell types, multi means can become a few different cell types within a specific tissue.
What is an internal regulator?
A protein that responds to events inside the cell
What is the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells?
Adult stem cells can only differentiate into cells of one type of tissue, embryonic can become any type of tissue.
What are three ways to treat cancer?
Surgery, Radiation, Chemotherapy
Define cyclin.
A family of proteins that regulate the cell cycle
Are adult stem cells able to become any type of cell? Why or why not?
No, they can only become a limited number of cell types typically of one type of tissue. This is because adult cells typically reach a point where their differentiation is complete.
What is an external regulator?
A protein that responds to events outside of the cell
Why do cells of multicellular organisms differentiate?
Different types of cells are needed to perform different functions. The more complex an organism, the more cell types it needs.
What are the two types of tumors?
Benign (noncancerous) and malignant (cancerous)
What are stem cells?
Unspecialized cells from which differentiated cells develop.
Only the first cell and the first few cell divisions
What is a growth factor?
External regulators the stimulate the growth and division of cells
Why is there debate about the use of embryonic stem cells?
The embryo has to be destroyed to get the cells, and there is debate about when life begins.
What is it called when cancer spread to other areas of the body?