Stem Cells
Stem cells are cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body.
Scientists are excited about stem cells because they could help in many different areas of health and medical research. Stem cells are cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body. The study of stem cells may help explain how serious conditions such as birth defects and cancer come about.
They serve as a repair system for the body.
These are two main types of stem cells:
1. Embryonic stem cells and
2. Adult stem cells.
Stem cells are different from other cells in the body in three ways:
1. They have the potential to become specialized cells, such as muscle cells, blood cells, and brain cells.
2. They can divide and renew themselves over a long time
3. They are unspecialized, so they cannot do specific functions in the body
In near future stem cells may one day be used to make cells and tissues for therapy of many diseases. Examples include
1. Parkinson's disease,
2. Alzheimer's disease,
3. Spinal cord injury,
4. Heart disease,
5. Diabetes, and
6. Arthritis.
Introduction: What are stem cells, and why are they important?
Stem cells have the remarkable potential to renew themselves.Different types of stems cells have varying degrees of potency; that is, the number of different cell types that they can form. While differentiating, the cell usually goes through several stages, becoming more specialized at each step. Scientists are beginning to understand the signals that trigger each step of the differentiation process. Signals for cell differentiation include factors secreted by other cells, physical contact with neighboring cells, and certain molecules in the microenvironment.
Adult stem cells are found in a tissue or organ and can differentiate to yield the specialized cell types of that tissue or organ.
Throughout the life of the organism, populations of adult stem cells serve as an internal repair system that generates replacements for cells that are lost through normal wear and tear, injury, or disease. Adult stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues and are generally associated with specific anatomical locations. These stem cells may remain quiescent (non-dividing) for long periods of time until they are activated by a normal need for more cells to maintain and repair tissues.