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HS seminar by Muhammad

Terms in this set (72)

Adult stem cell
A cell that retains the capacity for self-renewal and persists into adulthood.
Astrocyte
A type of supporting (glial) cell
found in the nervous system.
Blastocoel
The fluid-filled cavity inside
the blastocyst, an early, preimplantation
stage of the developing embryo.
Blastocyst
preimplantation embryo of
about 150 cells produced by cell division
following fertilization. The blastocyst
is a sphere made up of an outer layer
of cells (the trophoblast), a fluid-filled
cavity (the blastocoel), and a cluster
of cells on the interior (the inner cell
mass).
Bone marrow stromal cells
A population
of cells found in bone marrow that are
different from blood cells.
Bone marrow stromal stem cells
(skeletal stem cells)
A multipotent
subset of bone marrow stromal cells
able to form bone, cartilage, stromal
cells that support blood formation, fat,
and fibrous tissue.
Cell-based therapies
Treatment in which
stem cells are induced to differentiate
into the specific cell type required to
repair damaged or destroyed cells or
tissues.
Cell culture
Growth of cells in vitro in
an artificial medium for experimental
research.
Cell division
Method by which a single
cell divides to create two cells. There
are two main types of it
depending on what happens to the
chromosomes: mitosis and meiosis.
Chromosome
A structure consisting
of DNA and regulatory proteins
found in the nucleus of the cell. The
DNA in the nucleus is usually divided
up among several chromosomes.
The number of chromosomes in the
nucleus varies depending on the species
of the organism. Humans have 46
chromosomes.
Clone
To generate identical copies
of a region of a DNA molecule or to
generate genetically identical copies of
a cell, or organism; (n) The identical
molecule, cell, or organism that results
from the cloning process.
Cord blood stem cells
same as Umbilical cord blood stem cells
Culture medium
The liquid that covers
cells in a culture dish and contains
nutrients to nourish and support the
cells. Culture medium may also include
growth factors added to produce desired
changes in the cells.
Differentiation
The process whereby
an unspecialized embryonic cell
acquires the features of a specialized
cell such as a heart, liver, or muscle
cell. it is controlled by
the interaction of a cell's genes with
the physical and chemical conditions
outside the cell, usually through
signaling pathways involving proteins
embedded in the cell surface.
Directed differentiation
The
manipulation of stem cell culture
conditions to induce differentiation into
a particular cell type.
DNA
a chemical
found primarily in the nucleus of
cells. it carries the instructions or
blueprint for making all the structures
and materials the body needs to function.
it consists of both genes and nongene
DNA in between the genes.
Ectoderm
The outermost germ layer of
cells derived from the inner cell mass of
the blastocyst; gives rise to the nervous
system, sensory organs, skin, and related
structures.
Embryo
In humans, the developing
organism from the time of fertilization
until the end of the eighth week of
gestation, when it is called a fetus.
Embryoid bodies
Rounded collections
of cells that arise when embryonic
stem cells are cultured in suspension.
it contain cell types
derived from all 3 germ layers.
Embryonic germ cells
Pluripotent stem
cells that are derived from early germ
cells (those that would become sperm
and eggs). they are thought to have properties
similar to embryonic stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells
Primitive
(undifferentiated) cells derived from
a 5-day preimplantation embryo
that are capable of dividing without
differentiating for a prolonged period in
culture, and are known to develop into
cells and tissues of the three primary
germ layers.
Embryonic stem cell line
Embryonic
stem cells, which have been cultured
under in vitro conditions that allow
proliferation without differentiation for
months to years
Endoderm
The innermost layer of the
cells derived from the inner cell mass
of the blastocyst; it gives rise to lungs,
other respiratory structures, and
digestive organs, or generally "the gut".
Enucleated
Having had its nucleus
removed.
Epigenetic
Having to do with the process
by which regulatory proteins can turn
genes on or off in a way that can be
passed on during cell division.
Feeder layer
Cells used in co-culture to
maintain pluripotent stem cells. For
human embryonic stem cell culture,
they tipically include mouse
embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) or
human embryonic fibroblasts that have
been treated to prevent them from
dividing.
Fertilization
The joining of the male
gamete (sperm) and the female gamete
(egg).
Fetus
In humans, the developing human
from approximately eight weeks after
conception until the time of its birth.
Gamete
An egg (in the female) or sperm
(in the male) cell. See also Somatic cell.
Gastrulation
The process in which cells
proliferate and migrate within the
embryo to transform the inner cell mass
of the blastocyst stage into an embryo
containing all three primary germ
layers.
Gene
A functional unit of heredity
that is a segment of DNA found on
chromosomes in the nucleus of a
cell. Genes direct the formation of an
enzyme or other protein.
Germ layers
After the blastocyst stage
of embryonic development, the inner
cell mass of the blastocyst goes through gastrulation, a period when the inner
cell mass becomes organized into three
distinct cell layers.
The three layers are the ectoderm, the
mesoderm, and the endoderm.
Hematopoietic stem cell
A stem cell that
gives rise to all red and white blood cells
and platelets.
Human embryonic stem cell (hESC)
A type of pluripotent stem cell derived
from early-stage human embryos, up
to and including the blastocyst stage.
hESCs are capable of dividing without
differentiating for a prolonged period in
culture and are known to develop into
cells and tissues of the three primary
germ layers. See also pluripotent,
blastocyst, and germ layers.
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)
A type of pluripotent stem cell, similar
to an embryonic stem cell, formed by
the introduction of certain embryonic
genes into a somatic cell.
In vitro
Latin for "in glass"; in a
laboratory dish or test tube; an artificial
environment.
In vitro fertilization
A technique that
unites the egg and sperm in a laboratory,
instead of inside the female body.
Inner cell mass (ICM)
The cluster of cells
inside the blastocyst. These cells give rise
to the embryo and ultimately the fetus.
The ICM cells may be used to generate
embryonic stem cells.
Long-term self-renewal
The ability
of stem cells to renew themselves by
dividing into the same non-specialized
cell type over long periods (many
months to years) depending on the
specific type of stem cell.
Mesenchymal stem cells
A term that
is currently used to define non-blood
adult stem cells from a variety of
tissues, although it is not clear that they from different
tissues are the same.
Meiosis
The type of cell division a
diploid germ cell undergoes to produce
gametes (sperm or eggs) that will carry
half the normal chromosome number.
This is to ensure that when fertilization
occurs, the fertilized egg will carry the
normal number of chromosomes rather
than causing aneuploidy (an abnormal
number of chromosomes).
Mesoderm
Middle layer of a group of
cells derived from the inner cell mass
of the blastocyst; it gives rise to bone,
muscle, connective tissue, kidneys, and
related structures.
Microenvironment
The molecules and
compounds such as nutrients and
growth factors in the fluid surrounding
a cell in an organism or in the
laboratory, which play an important
role in determining the characteristics
of the cell.
Mitosis
The type of cell division that
allows a population of cells to increase
its numbers or to maintain its numbers.The number of chromosomes remains
the same in this type of cell division.
Multipotent
Having the ability to develop
into more than one cell type of the
body. See also pluripotent and totipotent.
Neural stem cell
A stem cell found in
adult neural tissue that can give rise to
neurons and glial (supporting) cells.
Examples of glial cells include astrocytes
and oligodendrocytes.
Neurons
Nerve cells, the principal
functional units of the nervous system.
A neuron consists of a cell body and
its processes—an axon and one or
more dendrites. they transmit
information to other neurons or cells by
releasing neurotransmitters at synapses.
Oligodendrocyte
A supporting cell that
provides insulation to nerve cells by
forming a myelin sheath (a fatty layer)
around axons.
Parthenogenesis
The artificial activation
of an egg in the absence of a sperm; the
egg begins to divide as if it has been
fertilized.
Passage
In cell culture, the process in
which cells are disassociated, washed,
and seeded into new culture vessels
after a round of cell growth and
proliferation. The number of passages a
line of cultured cells has gone through
is an indication of its age and expected
stability.
Pluripotent
Having the ability to give
rise to all of the various cell types of
the body. they cannot
make extra-embryonic tissues such
as the amnion, chorion, and other
components of the placenta. Scientists
demonstrate pluripotency by providing
evidence of stable developmental
potential, even after prolonged
culture, to form derivatives of all
three embryonic germ layers from the
progeny of a single cell and to generate
a teratoma after injection into an
immunosuppressed mouse.
Polar Body
it is a structure
produced when an early egg cell, or
oogonium, undergoes meiosis. In the
first meiosis, the oogonium divides its
chromosomes evenly between the two
cells but divides its cytoplasm unequally.
One cell retains most of the cytoplasm,
while the other gets almost none,
leaving it very small. This smaller cell
is called the first polar body. The first
polar body usually degenerates. The
ovum, or larger cell, then divides again,
producing a second polar body with
half the amount of chromosomes but
almost no cytoplasm. The second polar
body splits off and remains adjacent
to the large cell, or oocyte, until it (the
second polar body) degenerates. Only
one large functional oocyte, or egg, is
produced at the end of meiosis.
Preimplantation
With regard to an
embryo, it means that
the embryo has not yet implanted
in the wall of the uterus. Human
embryonic stem cells are derived from
preimplantation stage embryos fertilized
outside a woman's body (in vitro).
Proliferation
Expansion of the number
of cells by the continuous division of
single cells into two identical daughter
cells.
Regenerative medicine
A field of
medicine devoted to treatments
in which stem cells are induced to
differentiate into the specific cell type
required to repair damaged or destroyed
cell populations or tissues. See also cellbased
therapies.
Reproductive cloning
The process of
using somatic cell nuclear transfer
(SCNT) to produce a normal, full
grown organism (e.g., animal)
genetically identical to the organism
(animal) that donated the somatic
cell nucleus. In mammals, this would
require implanting the resulting embryo
in a uterus where it would undergo
normal development to become a live
independent being. The first animal
to be created by reproductive cloning
was Dolly the sheep, born at the Roslin
Institute in Scotland in 1996. See also
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).
Signals
Internal and external factors
that control changes in cell structure
and function. They can be chemical or
physical in nature.
Somatic cell
Any body cell other than
gametes (egg or sperm); sometimes
referred to as "adult" cells. See also
Gamete.
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)
A
technique that combines an enucleated
egg and the nucleus of a somatic cell to
make an embryo. SCNT can be used for
therapeutic or reproductive purposes,
but the initial stage that combines
an enucleated egg and a somatic cell
nucleus is the same. See also Therapeutic
cloning and Reproductive cloning.
Somatic (adult) stem cell
A relatively
rare undifferentiated cell found in many
organs and differentiated tissues with
a limited capacity for both self renewal
(in the laboratory) and differentiation.
Such cells vary in their differentiation
capacity, but it is usually limited to cell
types in the organ of origin. This is an
active area of investigation.
Stem cells
Cells with the ability to divide
for indefinite periods in culture and to
give rise to specialized cells.
Stromal cells
Connective tissue cells found
in virtually every organ. In bone marrow,
stromal cells support blood formation.
Subculturing
Transferring cultured cells,
with or without dilution, from one
culture vessel to another.
Surface markers
Proteins on the outside
surface of a cell that are unique to
certain cell types and that can be
visualized using antibodies or other
detection methods.
Teratoma
A multi-layered benign tumor
that grows from pluripotent cells
injected into mice with a dysfunctional
immune system. Scientists test whether
they have established a human
embryonic stem cell (hESC) line by
injecting putative stem cells into such
mice and verifying that the resulting
teratomas contain cells derived from all
three embryonic germ layers.
Therapeutic cloning
The process of
using somatic cell nuclear transfer
(SCNT) to produce cells that exactly
match a patient. By combining a
patient's somatic cell nucleus and an
enucleated egg, a scientist may harvest
embryonic stem cells from the resulting
embryo that can be used to generate
tissues that match a patient's body. This
means the tissues created are unlikely
to be rejected by the patient's immune
system. See also Somatic cell nuclear
transfer (SCNT).
Totipotent
Having the ability to give
rise to all the cell types of the body
plus all of the cell types that make up
the extraembryonic tissues such as
the placenta. See also Pluripotent and
Multipotent.
Transdifferentiation
The process by
which stem cells from one tissue
differentiate into cells of another tissue.
Trophectoderm
The outer layer of the
preimplantation embryo in mice. It
contains trophoblast cells.
Trophoblast
The outer cell layer of
the blastocyst. It is responsible for
implantation and develops into the
extraembryonic tissues, including theplacenta, and controls the exchange of
oxygen and metabolites between mother
and embryo.
Umbilical cord blood stem cells
Stem
cells collected from the umbilical cord at
birth that can produce all of the blood
cells in the body (hematopoietic). Cord
blood is currently used to treat patients
who have undergone chemotherapy
to destroy their bone marrow due to
cancer or other blood-related disorders.
Undifferentiated
A cell that has not yet
developed into a specialized cell type.
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