======Modelling Stem Cell Development======


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**Alternative titles:** Play Dough Embryo Models
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  * See links below for method and activities.



====Links==== 
📄 Stem Cell Development - www.nwabr.org: [[https://www.nwabr.org/sites/default/files/LESSON_1.pdf]]\\


====Variations====
  * Make one batch of homemade play dough and add food coloring at each stage to show progressive differentiation.
  * Extend with a chart comparing sources, potency, advantages, and limitations of embryonic versus adult stem cells.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Use caution with paper clips or similar tools when cutting models; points can puncture skin.
  * Check for latex, fragrance, or dye sensitivities in modeling materials; provide alternatives if needed.
  * Keep small pieces away from young children to prevent choking.





====Questions to Consider====
  * What is the difference between totipotent, pluripotent, and multipotent cells? (Totipotent can form all body tissues and placenta; pluripotent can form any body cell but not placenta; multipotent is limited to a range within one tissue or germ layer.)
  * From which stage are embryonic stem cells isolated in this model? (The inner cell mass of the blastula.)
  * What happens to the blastula if the inner cell mass is removed? (It is destroyed and cannot continue development.)
  * How can identical twins arise based on early development? (One or more cells separate during early cleavage or morula stage and each develops into an individual.)
  * Which organs or tissues derive from each germ layer? (Endoderm: digestive and respiratory linings; mesoderm: muscle, bone, blood, heart; ectoderm: skin and central nervous system.)
  * Why are adult stem cells considered multipotent? (They are already committed to a germ layer or tissue and can produce only related cell types.)
  * What is one advantage and one limitation of embryonic stem cells compared with adult stem cells? (Advantage: broader developmental potential and easier to culture; limitation: ethical concerns about destroying the blastula.)