In this essay I will be talking about stem cells, how they work, ethical and moral issues that are currently surrounding them and what we can look for in the future. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells in the body which change into specialised cells. During mitosis they can divide and produce more stem cells and are found in multicellular organisms and mammals. The two main types of stem cells are; embryonic stem cells, which are found in the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, whereas adult stem cells are found in varying tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells are a way for the body to repair itself when it gets injured or when it’s needed to replace dead or damaged cells. In developing embryos, stem cells differentiate into all specialised cells needed to create parts of the body such as brain, lungs, skin or intestinal tissues.
A less specialised cell becomes a more specialised cell type during a process called differentiation. Differentiation occurs during the development of the embryo where cells become specialised and then form different tissues and organs. The process of differentiation starts when a sperm fertilises an egg and creates a single cell which goes onto forming specialised cells. In the first few hours of
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When cells differentiation happens, it can form cells like ones used to make connective tissue. From that point, more cell differentiation can occur in order to form different connective tissues such as white fibrocartilage tissue. Stem cells can be used to differentiate into any type of cell, such as skin cells or nerve cells. This process is important for us so organisms and organs can efficiently carry out their jobs properly. For example a sperm cell would not be efficient at its job if it were shaped like a red blood cell, so this is where it comes in handy. When cell differentiation goes wrong, it can lead to the formation of cancerous