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Polymenorrhea is a condition which affects the menstrual cycle - OCR Gateway - GCSE Biology - Question 16 - 2021 - Paper 1
Question 16
Polymenorrhea is a condition which affects the menstrual cycle. Symptoms of the condition include the time between ovulation and the next period being shorter than ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Polymenorrhea is a condition which affects the menstrual cycle - OCR Gateway - GCSE Biology - Question 16 - 2021 - Paper 1
Step 1
What is the name of the hormone that could treat the symptoms of this condition?
Answer
The hormone that could treat the symptoms of polymenorrhea is Progesterone. Progesterone plays a crucial role in regulating the menstrual cycle by maintaining the lining of the uterus and preventing its early breakdown.
Step 2
Describe how the hormone chosen in part (a)(i) would help.
Answer
Progesterone helps by stabilizing the uterine lining, which can reduce the frequency of menstruation. By maintaining the lining, it prevents the ovaries from triggering earlier periods, thus alleviating the symptoms associated with polymenorrhea.
Step 3
Explain why embryo stem cells can be used to treat a wider range of disorders than menstrual blood stem cells.
Answer
Embryo stem cells, also known as embryonic stem cells, are pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into any cell type in the body. This versatility allows them to be used in the treatment of a wide range of disorders, including those that affect multiple types of tissues. In contrast, menstrual blood stem cells are multipotent and can only differentiate into a limited number of cell types, thus restricting their therapeutic applications.
Step 4
Calculate the time it takes for the population to reach 16 cells.
Answer
To determine the time it takes to reach 16 cells, we need to consider the doubling time of 19.4 hours:
- Starting with 1 stem cell, the population doubles:
- After 1 doubling: 2 cells
- After 2 doublings: 4 cells
- After 3 doublings: 8 cells
- After 4 doublings: 16 cells
Thus, it takes 4 doublings. Therefore, the total time to reach 16 cells is:
Step 5
How many times faster is the growth of menstrual blood stem cells?
Answer
To find how many times faster the growth is for menstrual blood stem cells compared to umbilical cord stem cells, we divide the doubling time of umbilical cord stem cells (48 hours) by the doubling time of menstrual blood stem cells (19.4 hours):
ext{Times faster} = rac{48 ext{ hours}}{19.4 ext{ hours}} = 2.47
Thus, the growth of menstrual blood stem cells is approximately 2.47 times faster.
Step 6
Discuss why scientists think menstrual blood stem cell extraction is a positive development.
Answer
Scientists view menstrual blood stem cell extraction as a positive development for several reasons:
- Easily obtainable source: Menstrual blood is collected non-invasively, making the process simple and less risky compared to extracting stem cells from other sources, such as embryos or bone marrow.
- Less ethical concerns: Since menstrual blood is waste material, its use avoids the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells.
- Potential for less invasive techniques: The methods developed for collecting stem cells from menstrual blood could lead to advancements in regenerative medicine and treatments without the need for more invasive methods.
- Diverse applications: Research is ongoing to better understand the potential applications of these cells in treating various diseases, which could significantly enhance healthcare options.