Question

which one of the following statements about embryonic stem (es) cells is incorrect? they can differentiate into all cell types needed to form an embryo, including the placenta. induced pluripotent stem cells demonstrate characteristics similar to es cells. es cells are derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst. the cells can maintain indefinite self-renewal capacity under controlled conditions. there are strict regulations around human es cell research.

Answer 1

The incorrect statement about embryonic stem cells is that they can differentiate into all cell types needed to form an embryo, including the placenta, which is a feature of totipotent cells, not pluripotent cells like ES cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement about embryonic stem (ES) cells that is incorrect is the assertion that they can differentiate into all cell types needed to form an embryo, including the placenta. This capability is actually characteristic of totipotent stem cells, like the zygote, which can develop into any type of cell in the body as well as extraembryonic tissues such as the placenta. ES cells, which are derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, are pluripotent, meaning they have the potential to differentiate into any type of human tissue but cannot support the full development of an organism, which includes placental development.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are indeed similar to ES cells because both are pluripotent and can give rise to cells characteristic of all three germ layers. Moreover, ES cells can indeed maintain indefinite self-renewal capacity under controlled conditions, and there are strict regulations surrounding human ES cell research due to ethical considerations.