In the 1950s, scientists fed 3H-thymidine to rats to label cells that were synthesizing

Chapter 0, Problem 22-5

(choose chapter or problem)

In the 1950s, scientists fed 3H-thymidine to rats to label cells that were synthesizing DNA, and then followed the fates of labeled cells for periods of up to a year. They found three patterns of cell labeling in different tissues. Cells in some tissues such as neurons in the central nervous system and the retina did not get labeled. Muscle, kidney, and liver, by contrast, each showed a small number of labeled cells that retained their label, apparently without further division or loss. Finally, cells such as those in the squamous epithelia of the tongue and esophagus were labeled in fairly large numbers, with radioactive pairs of nuclei visible in 12 hours; however, the labeled cells disappeared over time. Which of these three patterns of labeling would you expect to see if the labeled cells were generated by stem cells? Explain your answer.