Stem Cells :: essays research papers

Photo courtesy University of Wisconsin Board of RegentsMicroscopic 10x view of a colony of embryonic halts cadres(The stem cell colonies atomic number 18 the rounded, dense masses of cells.)Meriam-Webster defines stem cells as an unspecialized cell that gives rise to differentiated cells. This means the can turn into any cells the body is in train of .Their almost limitless potential has made stem cells a significant focus of medical research. Imagine having the ability to return memory to an Alzheimers patient, regenerate skin that was lost during a terrible accident or enable a wheelchair-bound person to walk again. But before scientists can use stem cells for medical purposes, they must first learn how to harness their power. They cant treat disease until they learn how to manipulate stem cells to get them to develop into specific tissues or electric organs. A stem cell is essentially the building block of the human body. The stem cells inside an embryo will eventually give rise to every cell, organ and tissue in the fetuss body. Unlike a regular cell, which can only replicate to create to a greater extent of its own kind of cell, a stem cell is pluripotent. When it divides, it can make any one of the 220 different cells in the human body. Stem cells also take for the capability to self-renew -- they can reproduce themselves many times over. There are two types of stem cells embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from an embryo -- the mass of cells in the earliest stage of human development that, if implanted in a womans womb, will eventually grow into a fetus. When the embryo is between three and five days old, it contains stem cells, which are busily working to create the various organs and tissues that will make up the fetus. Adults also have stem cells in the heart, brain, trick up marrow, lungs and other organs. They are our built-in repair kits, regenerating cells damaged by disease, injury and everyday wear an d tear. Adult stem cells were once believed to be more limited than stem cells, only giving rise to the same type of tissue from which they originated. But new research suggests that adult stem cells may have the potential to generate other types of cells, as well. For example, liver cells may be coaxed to produce insulin, which is normally made by the pancreas.