biology

Stromal cell

Stromal cell is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Stromal cell rather than just read about it. In short: Stromal cells, or mesenchymal stromal cells, are differentiating cells found in abundance within bone marrow but can also be seen all around the body. Stromal cells can become connective tissue cells of any organ, for example in the uterine mucosa (endometrium), prostate, bone marrow, lymph node and the ovary.

Key takeaways

Stromal cell belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Stromal cell to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Stromal cell from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Stromal cells, or mesenchymal stromal cells, are differentiating cells found in abundance within bone marrow but can also be seen all around the body. Stromal cells can become connective tissue cells of any organ, for example in the uterine mucosa (endometrium), prostate, bone marrow, lymph node and the ovary. They are cells that support the function of the parenchymal cells of that organ. The most common stromal cells include fibroblasts and pericytes. The term stromal comes from Latin stromat-, "bed covering", and Ancient Greek στρῶμα, strôma, "bed". Stromal cells are an important part of the body's immune response and modulate inflammation through multiple pathways. They also aid in differentiation of hematopoietic cells and forming necessary blood elements. The interaction between stromal cells and tumor cells is known to play a major role in cancer growth and progression. In addition, by regulating local cytokine networks (e.g. M-CSF, LIF), bone marrow stromal cells have been described to be involved in human hematopoiesis and inflammatory processes. Stromal cells (in the dermis layer) adjacent to the epidermis (the top layer of the skin) release growth factors that promote cell division. This keeps the epidermis regenerating from the bottom while the top layer of cells on the epidermis are constantly being "sloughed" off the body. Additionally, stromal cells play a role in inflammation responses, and controlling the amount of cells accumulating at an inflamed region of tissue.

Defining a stromal cell Defining a stromal cell is of importance because it was a source of difficulty in the past. Without a strong definition studies could not cross over or gain knowledge from each other because a stromal cell was not well defined and went by a plethora of names. A stromal cell is currently more specifically referred to as a mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC). It is non-hematopoietic, multipotent, and self-replicating. These factors make it an effective tool in potential cell therapies and tissue repair. Being a mesenchymal cell indicates an ability to develop into various other cell types and tissues such as connective tissue, blood vessels, and lymphatic tissue. Some stromal cells can be considered stem cells but not all therefore it can not be broadly termed a stem cell. All MSCs have the ability adhere to plastic and replicate by themselves. The minimal criteria to define MSCs further include a specific set of cell surface markers. The cells must express CD73, CD90 and CD105 and they must be negative for CD14 or CD11b, CD34, CD45, CD79 alpha or CD19 and HLA-DR. Low levels of human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR) make MSCs hypoimmunogenic. MSCs have trilineage differentiation capacity where they are able to adapt into osteoblast, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. They can also display anti-inflammatory as well as proinflammatory responses allowing for the potential to help with a broad range of immune disorders and inflammatory diseases.

Sources of stromal cells It is well known that stromal cells arise and are stored in the bone marrow until maturation and differentiation. They are located in the stroma and aid hematopoietic cells in forming the elements of the blood. While a majority is found in the bone marrow scientists now know that stromal cells can be found in a variety of different tissues as well. These can include adipose tissue, endometrium, synovial fluid, dental tissue, amniotic membrane and fluid, as well as the placenta. High quality stromal cells are located in the placenta, due to their young age. MSCs lose function with age, and aged MSCs are less efficacious in therapy.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Stromal cell

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Stromal cell claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Stromal cell before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Stromal cell ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Stromal cell

In research: Stromal cell appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Stromal cell in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Stromal cell is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Connective tissue cells, Human cells, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Stromal cell outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Stromal cell in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Stromal cell means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Stromal cell out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stromal cell in simple terms?

Why does Stromal cell matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Stromal cell?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Stromal cell.