In 2017, the journal Nature Methods dubbed these models the “Method of the Year.” For 10 points each:
[10h] Name these 3D aggregates of pluripotent stem cells that are cultured in a dish to mimic the development of systems like the brain and stomach.
ANSWER: organoids [accept embryoid bodies; accept specific examples like cerebral organoids or stomach organoids; prompt on embryoids]
[10m] Organoids can closely recapitulate this embryonic process in vitro. This process begins with an invagination of cells from the epiblast and ends with the formation of the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm germ layers.
ANSWER: gastrulation [or word forms such as gastrulate; accept answers that describe gastrula formation]
[10e] To replicate the extracellular matrix, most organoids are cultured in a hydrogel containing laminin, nidogen, and this triple-helical protein. It’s the main component of connective tissue and the most abundant protein in mammals.
ANSWER: collagen
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