Question 1 Hard
Give one risk of using stem cells to treat a patient.
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Answer: virus
- The cells are grown in a lab.
- They could carry a virus or form a tumour.
Stem cells and differentiation: GCSE Combined Science Biology practice questions
A second set of questions on stem cells and differentiation. They are different from the ones on the topic page. Try each, then open the answer and compare your working.
More questions
Question 2 Hard
Give one ethical objection to using embryonic stem cells.
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Answer: embryos are destroyed
- Embryos are used to get the cells.
- The objection is that embryos are destroyed.
Question 3 Hard
A rare plant is growing in only one place. Which plant tissue could be used to grow many copies quickly?
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Answer: meristem
- Stem cells in plants are in the meristem.
- These make many clones.
Question 4 Hard
Why are a field of cloned crop plants at risk from one new disease? Give one word for what they all share.
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Answer: genes
- Clones have the same genes.
- So they all have the same weaknesses.
Question 5 Easy
What do we call the process by which a cell becomes specialised?
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Answer: differentiation
- The cell changes to do one job.
- The process is differentiation.
Question 6 Easy
What type of cell division do stem cells use to make more cells?
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Answer: mitosis
- Stem cells copy themselves.
- The division is mitosis.
Question 7 Medium
Is a muscle cell a specialised cell or an undifferentiated cell?
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Answer: specialised
- A muscle cell has one job.
- So it is specialised.
Question 8 Medium
What name is given to a lump of cells that grows out of control?
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Answer: tumour
- Cells dividing uncontrollably form a lump.
- The lump is a tumour.
Quick checks
Short questions with options. Choose one before you open the answer.
Check 1
What is a stem cell?
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An undifferentiated cell that can divide and become specialised.
Check 2
Where do embryonic stem cells come from?
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Early human embryos.
Check 3
What can embryonic stem cells become?
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Any type of human cell.
Check 4
Where are adult stem cells found?
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In places such as the bone marrow.
Check 5
What can adult stem cells become?
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Only some types of cell, such as blood cells.
Check 6
What is therapeutic cloning?
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Making an embryo with the same genes as a patient to produce stem cells that are not rejected.
Check 7
Why are therapeutic cloning stem cells not rejected?
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They have the same genes as the patient.
Check 8
Name two diseases stem cells might treat.
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Diabetes and paralysis from spinal injury.
Check 9
What is one medical risk of stem cell treatment?
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Viruses in the lab-grown cells could infect the patient.
Check 10
What is a second medical risk of stem cell treatment?
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The cells could divide uncontrollably and form a tumour.
Check 11
Why do some people object to embryonic stem cell research?
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Embryos are destroyed, and they believe an embryo has the right to life.
Check 12
Where are plant stem cells found?
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In the meristems at the tips of roots and shoots.
Check 13
How long can plant stem cells differentiate for?
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Throughout the life of the plant.
Check 14
Why can meristem cells be used to save a rare plant species?
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They can quickly make many clones of the plant.
Check 15
What is a risk of growing a field of clone plants?
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One new disease could kill them all, as they have the same genes.
Check 16
What is a bone marrow transplant used for?
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To replace diseased blood cells using healthy adult stem cells.
Check 17
What does specialised mean?
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A cell that has changed to do one particular job.
Check 18
What is differentiation?
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The process by which a cell becomes specialised.
Check 19
What type of cell division do stem cells use?
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Mitosis.
Check 20
Which stem cells are used in bone marrow transplants?
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Adult stem cells from the bone marrow.
Check 21
Why might the immune system attack new cells?
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If they have different genes from the patient.
Check 22
What is a tumour?
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A lump of cells that has grown out of control.
Check 23
What is an ethical issue?
Show answer
A question about what is right or wrong.
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