Stem cells
What is the probability of people who like or listen to music? A very high number I suppose. And what are the odds of them listening to the same type of music, let’s say, pop? A good amount of people still but surely less than the first. The likelihood of listening to the same pop artist? An even smaller number. What about the possibilities of having eyes, arms, legs, a body, a heart? Clearly a great number. But the same color eyes, hair, or skin? A much lesser number. The chances are greater when something is generalized, but once it has begun to narrow down, so do the chances. Stem cells for example, everyone has them in their body, and they typically perform the same functions on everyone. However, due to other factors such as …show more content…
Stem cells have three general properties: they are able to divide and renew themselves for long periods of time, they are unspecialized, and they may also form specialized cell types. Stem cells have the ability to duplicate, or proliferate, constantly. They’re unlike blood cells, muscle cells, or nerve cells which don’t commonly replicate. They are able to withstand long term cell renewal, meaning if they remain unspecialized they can replicate for months and even years. Unspecialized stem cells signify that these stem cells don’t possess tissue-like structures that would enable them to perform specialized functions such as a heart muscle cell pumping blood through the body, or a red blood cell carrying oxygen through the bloodstream. However, stem cells to have the potential to form specialized stem cells in a process called differentiation, that is, when a stem cell goes through stages of change that allow it to perform specific functions. Scientist are still attempting to understand why only certain types of stem cells are able to proliferate without differentiating for years on, but other types …show more content…
Adult stem cells, sometimes referred to as tissue-specific or somatic stem cells, are typically found in small numbers in the brain, heart, bone marrow, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, liver, gut, nerve, blood vessels and many more tissues and organs. Their main role is to replace worn out cells in these tissues and organs. For example, the lining of the human intestine is fully replaced every four days. Stem cells underneath the lining constantly work to replace worn out, dead cells. Adult stem cells are only able to perform this task for the tissue or organ of origin, and are limited in where they are able to differentiate. Adult stem cell research began in the 1950s, when scientist discovered the bone marrow. In the 1960s, while testing on rats, researchers found stem cells in parts of the brain and by the 1990s, researchers had confirmed that the brain does indeed contain stem cells that are able to generate new nerve cells. In present day, scientists in laboratories are growing large amounts of adult stem cells to try and manipulate them into performing specific functions in order to treat injuries and diseases. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, were discovered in 1981 as scientists found a way to derive embryonic stem cells from mice. In 1998, scientists were able to derive stem cell from human embryos and grow them in laboratories for future research. In present day, embryonic stem
What is the probability of people who like or listen to music? A very high number I suppose. And what are the odds of them listening to the same type of music, let’s say, pop? A good amount of people still but surely less than the first. The likelihood of listening to the same pop artist? An even smaller number. What about the possibilities of having eyes, arms, legs, a body, a heart? Clearly a great number. But the same color eyes, hair, or skin? A much lesser number. The chances are greater when something is generalized, but once it has begun to narrow down, so do the chances. Stem cells for example, everyone has them in their body, and they typically perform the same functions on everyone. However, due to other factors such as …show more content…
Stem cells have three general properties: they are able to divide and renew themselves for long periods of time, they are unspecialized, and they may also form specialized cell types. Stem cells have the ability to duplicate, or proliferate, constantly. They’re unlike blood cells, muscle cells, or nerve cells which don’t commonly replicate. They are able to withstand long term cell renewal, meaning if they remain unspecialized they can replicate for months and even years. Unspecialized stem cells signify that these stem cells don’t possess tissue-like structures that would enable them to perform specialized functions such as a heart muscle cell pumping blood through the body, or a red blood cell carrying oxygen through the bloodstream. However, stem cells to have the potential to form specialized stem cells in a process called differentiation, that is, when a stem cell goes through stages of change that allow it to perform specific functions. Scientist are still attempting to understand why only certain types of stem cells are able to proliferate without differentiating for years on, but other types …show more content…
Adult stem cells, sometimes referred to as tissue-specific or somatic stem cells, are typically found in small numbers in the brain, heart, bone marrow, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, liver, gut, nerve, blood vessels and many more tissues and organs. Their main role is to replace worn out cells in these tissues and organs. For example, the lining of the human intestine is fully replaced every four days. Stem cells underneath the lining constantly work to replace worn out, dead cells. Adult stem cells are only able to perform this task for the tissue or organ of origin, and are limited in where they are able to differentiate. Adult stem cell research began in the 1950s, when scientist discovered the bone marrow. In the 1960s, while testing on rats, researchers found stem cells in parts of the brain and by the 1990s, researchers had confirmed that the brain does indeed contain stem cells that are able to generate new nerve cells. In present day, scientists in laboratories are growing large amounts of adult stem cells to try and manipulate them into performing specific functions in order to treat injuries and diseases. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, were discovered in 1981 as scientists found a way to derive embryonic stem cells from mice. In 1998, scientists were able to derive stem cell from human embryos and grow them in laboratories for future research. In present day, embryonic stem