Cell Specialization/Differentiation

What is cell differentiation?

• Process by which cells produce more cells
• Process by which cells become specialized
• Process by which cells become unspecialized
• Process by which cells die

What can stem cells be used for?

• Repairing damage from a heart attack

• Regrowing limbs

• Bone marrow transplants

• All of these

Which best explains why muscle cells are different from blood cells?

• Muscle cells are produced by the brain, but blood cells are produced by the heart. 
• Different genes are activated in muscle cells than in blood cells. 
• Muscles cells experience different environmental influences than blood cells. 
• A mutation occurs during the development of muscle cells but not in blood cells. 

During development, an embryo is exposed to extreme heat. Will this affect how it develops?

• Yes

• No

Specialized cells such as skin cell and muscle cell carry out specific function because only certain parts of genes are expressed. 

• True
• False

What is the difference between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells?

• Embryonic stem cells can differentiate into more cell types than adult stem cells
• Adult stem cells are pluripotent, just like embryonic stem cells
• Adult stem cells can differentiate into more cell types than embryonic stem cells
• Adult stem cells grow bigger than embryonic stem cells

The skin cell and hair cell contain different sets of DNA. And that is why they are different cells.

• True
• False

Stem cell research is controversial because in involves?

• social issues
• ethical issues
• educational issues
• economical issues

What is one goal of cellular differentiation/specialization?

• To create specialized cells to help organism maintain homeostasis.
• To many cells.
• To make stem cells
• to make single celled organisms

Stem cells are

• cells that grow uncontrollably
• undifferentiated and can be any type of cell
• never go through cell division
• only found in embryos