Stem cells could be used to treat diseases such as type 1 diabetes by replacing damaged cells.
The Table shows information about three sources of stem cells.
Table
| Source of stem cells | Types of cell they can become | Risk of rejection by the patient | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|
| early embryos left over from fertility treatment | any type of cell | high | the embryo is destroyed |
| bone marrow from a donor | a few types of cell, such as blood cells | high, unless the donor is a close match | the donor needs a small operation |
| the patient's own bone marrow | a few types of cell, such as blood cells | none | may not be possible if the patient is very ill |
Discuss the potential benefits and risks of using stem cells in medicine.
Use information from the Table in your answer.
181 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 6.3 Monitoring and maintaining health, covering 6.3.1 Health and disease, 6.3.2 Interactions between diseases, 6.3.3 Spread of communicable diseases, 6.3.4 Common infections and diseases, 6.3.5 Physical plant defence responses, 6.3.6 Chemical plant defence responses, 6.3.7 Detecting and identifying plant diseases, 6.3.8 White blood cells and platelets, 6.3.9 Non-specific defence systems, 6.3.10 The immune system, 6.3.11 Monoclonal antibodies, 6.3.12 Vaccines and medicines, 6.3.13 Aseptic techniques, 6.3.14 Discovery and development of new medicines, 6.3.15 Causes of non-communicable diseases, 6.3.16 Treatments for cardiovascular disease, 6.3.17 Lifestyle factors and non-communicable diseases, 6.3.18 Cancer, 6.3.19 Stem cells in medicine, 6.3.20 Gene technology in medicine, and 6.3.21 The human genome and medicine. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.