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2008 Amendments to the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2008) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix B: Glossary
Pages 39-46

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From page 39...
... Bone marrow -- The soft, living tissue that fills most bone cavities and contains hematopoietic stem cells, from which all red and white blood cells evolve. The bone marrow also contains mesenchymal stem cells from which a number of cell types arise, including chondrocytes, which produce cartilage, and fibroblasts, which produce connective tissue.
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From page 40...
... Embryo -- An animal in the early stages of growth and differentiation that are characterized by cleavage, laying down of fundamental tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems; especially the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of the eighth week after conception, after which stage it becomes known as a fetus. Embryoid bodies (EBs) -- Clumps of cellular structures that arise when em bryonic stem cells are cultured.
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From page 41...
... Feeder cell layer -- Cells that are used in culture to maintain pluripotent stem cells. Feeder cells usually consist of mouse embryonic fibroblasts.
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From page 42...
... Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) -- A stem cell from which all red and white blood cells evolve and that may be isolated from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood for use in transplants.
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From page 43...
... Mesenchymal stem cells -- Stem cells found in bone marrow and elsewhere from which a number of cell types can arise, including chondrocytes, which produce cartilage, and fibroblasts, which produce connective tissue. Mesoderm -- The middle layer of the embryonic disk, which consists of a group of cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst; it is formed at gastrulation and is the precursor to bone, muscle, and connective tissue.
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From page 44...
... -- A procedure applied to IVF em bryos to determine which ones carry deleterious mutations predisposing to hereditary diseases. Primary germ layers -- The three initial embryonic germ layers -- endo derm, mesoderm, and ectoderm -- from which all other somatic tissue types develop.
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From page 45...
... Produced experimentally in animals by injecting pluripotent stem cells to determine the stem cells' abilities to differentiate into various types of tissues. Tissue culture -- Growth of tissue in vitro on an artificial medium for experimental research.
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Key Terms

  • stem cell
  • cell types
  • germ layers
  • inner cell
  • pluripotent stem

  • cells derived
  • germ cells
  • cell mass
  • connective tissue
  • bone marrow

  • specialized cell
  • germ cell
  • embryonic stem
  • blood cells
  • embryonic germ

  • primordial germ
  • mouse embryonic
  • cells evolve
  • cell found
  • feeder cells

  • embryonic disk
  • produce connective
  • primitive germ
  • mesenchymal stem
  • female germ

  • primary germ
  • hematopoietic stem
  • fertilized egg
  • produce cartilage
  • including chondrocytes


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