Question

Mention the chief characteristics of embryonic stem cells. Give any two uses of such cells.

Answer 1

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst stage embryo. They have the following characteristics:

1. Self-renewal: ES cells can divide indefinitely in culture and maintain their undifferentiated state.
2. Pluripotency: ES cells have the ability to differentiate into cells of all three germ layers (endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm) and form any cell type in the body.

Two uses of embryonic stem cells are:

1. Regenerative medicine: ES cells have the potential to differentiate into any cell type, and hence can be used for the regeneration of damaged tissues and organs.
2. Disease modeling and drug testing: ES cells can be used to model human diseases and test potential drugs in vitro, which can lead to the development of more effective treatments.