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Stem Cells

Stem Cells. Amall Alolifi Ms. Simonof Biology P-4 th March 10 th , 2014 Research PowerPoint. What are stem cells?.

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Stem Cells

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  1. Stem Cells Amall Alolifi Ms. Simonof Biology P-4th March 10th, 2014 Research PowerPoint

  2. What are stem cells? Stem cells in the body have potential to be specialized into different types of cells. It is like an “internal repair system” (Basics of Stem Cell). There are two characteristics for a stem cell to be distinguished from other cell types. The first characteristic is there are unspecialized cells that can replenish themselves from cell division. Cell division is the process of genetic material being broken down into two daughter cells. The second characteristic is when cells are under experimental conditions and can be made into tissue with special functions.

  3. Two Main Types of Stem Cells There are two types of stems cells which are adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells which also can be called somatic stem cells are found in babies, children, and adults. They live in developed tissues such as the “brain, lungs, heart, liver, and kidney” (Watson). Embryonic stem cells are found in the embryo which is developed in the uterus. They are produced when a fertilized egg begins to divide and can become any type of cell in the body. The big difference between an adult and embryonic stem cell is that adult stem cells are limited to what cell type they become by where their tissue was developed while an embryonic stem cell can be any type of cell.

  4. Why are stem cells important? Stem cells are very important because they help scientists figure out “early human development, birth defects, and cell therapies” (Murnaghan, Why are Stem Cells Important?). They also are able to treat a large amount of diseases by three unique properties which are self-renewal, differentiation, and unspecialized. Self-renewal is when the stem cell can reproduce themselves very rapidly which is also called proliferate. Stem cells have the ability to differentiate into cells with specialized characteristics and functions. When a stem cell is unspecialized, that means it can only rise to a specific specialized cell. In 2012, according to a company named StemCyte has found that stem cells have cured “more than 80 diseases” (Diseases Currently Treated With Stem Cells). So far, there have been treatments for certain leukemia, syndromes, disorders, and hopefully in the future AIDS, diabetes, and heart disease.

  5. What are some technologies that scientists use to work with stem cells? When using stem cells to treat diseases, technology is involved. There are three main technologies used today which are bone marrow stem cell transplant, peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSC), and umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant. American Medical Association says that a bone marrow stem cell transplant is when, “The patient's bone marrow stem cells are replaced with those from a healthy, matching donor. If the transplant is successful, the stem cells will migrate into the patient's bone marrow and begin producing new, healthy leukocytes to replace the abnormal cells”(Basics of Stem Cell). PBSC transplant is when blood is being drawn, making the blood stem cells from the little amount in the bloodstream easier to collect than bone marrow stem cells. The umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant has been rejected as a by-product of the birth process but the blood found in the umbilical cord has been useful for treating health problems.

  6. History The history behind stem cells is very interesting yet simple.During the 1800’s, stem cells were the “building blocks of life” (Murnaghan, History of Stem Cells). While in the 1900’s, the first stem cell was discovered in the human cord blood by a man named Alexander Maximow. In 1998, James Thomson made the first creation of embryonic stem cells which were from embryos. Then that lead to scientist finding out that adult tissues could produce different cell types. The debate and controversy begins with scientists removing adult stem cells from adult tissues with harmful effect on the person with embryos. A fun fact about stem cells is that they enabled researchers to find that the heart can restore itself from the carbon 14 produced in nuclear bombs.

  7. Why are stem cells debatable? Even though, stem cells open new doors to discoveries and are very helpful, it can also be an ongoing debate. It is very difficult to balance and respect the scientific world and ethical beliefs. The United States are one of the few countries that are ongoing for stem cell research because we have hope in better discoveries. Some countries like China, India, and Belgium do not allow stem cell research for cloning due to religious reasons. The fact that an embryo is implanted into a uterus is not natural and doesn’t have the “emotional and physical property of a human being” (Stem Cell Research: Ethical Dilemma). There are still disagreementsaround the world about stem cell research but here in the US, it’s been very useful.

  8. Work Cited • Basics of Stem Cell. n.d. Web. 1 March 2014. http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/pages/basics1.aspx • Diseases Currently Treated With Stem Cells. n.d. Web. 1 March 2014. http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/pages/health.aspx • Murnaghan, Ian. History of Stem Cells. 3 March 2014. Web. 4 March 2014. http://www.explorestemcells.co.uk/historystemcellresearch.html • —. Why are Stem Cells Important? 4 December 2013. Web. 1 March 2013. http://www.explorestemcells.co.uk/whyarestemcellsimportant.html • Stem Cell Research: Ethical Dilemma. 23 March 2013. Web. 4 March 2014. http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/embyronic-stem-cell-research-ethical-dilemma • Watson, Stephanie. How Stem Cells Work. n.d. Web. 1 March 2014. http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/stem-cell1.htm

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