Back to 课程

Biology AS OCR

0% Complete
0/0 Steps
  1. 1-1-practical-skills-written-assessment AS
    7 主题
  2. 1-2-practical-skills-endorsement-assessment AS
    16 主题
  3. 2-1-cell-structure AS
    9 主题
  4. 2-2-biological-molecules AS
    17 主题
  5. 2-3-nucleotides-and-nucleic-acids AS
    8 主题
  6. 2-4-enzymes AS
    9 主题
  7. 2-5-biological-membranes AS
    9 主题
  8. 2-6-cell-division-cell-diversity-and-cellular-organisation AS
    11 主题
  9. 3-1-exchange-surfaces AS
    7 主题
  10. 3-2-transport-in-animals AS
    12 主题
  11. 3-3-transport-in-plants AS
    11 主题
  12. 4-1-communicable-diseases-disease-prevention-and-the-immune-system AS
    16 主题
  13. 4-2-biodiversity AS
    10 主题
  14. 4-3-classification-and-evolution AS
    15 主题
课 Progress
0% Complete

Exam code:H020

Stem cells in research & medicine

  • Due to their ability to differentiate into multiple cell types, stem cells have huge potential in the therapeutic treatment of disease

  • Stem cells in the treatment of disease could be used to:

    • repair tissue that has been damaged

    • treat neurological conditions

    • research developmental biology

  • Factors to consider when evaluating the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine include:

    • ethical concerns around the use of embryonic stem cells which have the potential to develop into an adult human

    • any adult stem cells used in medical treatment could cause an immune response unless they are a close tissue match

    • stem cells have the ability to divide indefinitely; if this division becomes uncontrolled then it can lead to cancers

Tissue repair

  • Tissue damage can occur due to:

    • accidental damage

    • degenerative disease

    • autoimmune condition

  • Stem cells could be encouraged to differentiate into a damaged cell type and used to repair damaged tissue, e.g.

    • skin cells to treat burn patients

    • neurones to repair a damaged spinal cord

    • pancreas cells to treat type 1 diabetes

    • retina cells for the treatment of macular degeneration in the eye

Treating neurological conditions

  • Brain cells and neurones can be affected by some diseases, affecting the body’s ability to coordinate responses to stimuli

  • Stem cells could be used to generate new neurones in order to treat the symptoms of these conditions, e.g.

    • replacing damaged brain cells in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

Developmental biology

  • Embryonic stem cells have the ability to differentiate into embryos, allowing scientists to study the developmental stages of the early embryo

  • Research on developmental biology can provide important information about:

    • developmental problems

    • the effects of medicines on embryos

Examiner Tips and Tricks

You are not expected to be able to name any specific examples of neurological conditions that could be treated using stem cells.

Responses

您的邮箱地址不会被公开。 必填项已用 * 标注