Stem cells are used in research to study how diseases develop - Scottish Highers Biology - Question 3 - 2023

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into any cell type in the body under appropriate conditions. This property makes them invaluable for a range of research applications, including studying developmental processes and disease modeling.

An ethical reason for using embryonic stem cells in medical research is their potential to lead to discoveries that can cure diseases or provide treatments that alleviate suffering, thereby improving quality of life for patients.

1. The cell count for the culture with medium + cytokines (flask B) is consistently higher than the culture with medium only (flask A) across all recorded days.
2. By day 10, the cell count in flask A is only 13 thousand cells per cm³, whereas flask B shows a significantly higher count of 8200 thousand cells per cm³.

The cell count from flask B on day 10 is 8200 thousand cells per cm³. Therefore, in a 0.01 cm³ sample, the number of cells would be:

$8200 ext{ thousand cells/cm}^3 imes 0.01 ext{ cm}^3 = 82 ext{ thousand cells}$

The cell count was a viable cell count because the numbers in flask B, which are much higher than in flask A, indicate successful cell division and health. Additionally, the increasing counts over the days in flask B, especially reaching 8200 thousand cells after 10 days, suggest that the cells were actively growing and not degenerating.