Stem Cells Imagine living in a world in which we had a cure for cancer. What if we make new arms and legs for people who need them? There is a type of cell that could, some day, help us to do these things. They are called stem cells. We have very limited knowledge on these fascinating types of cells, because the field is so new. The first research began in the 1960s, but we didn’t really know what these cells could do until the 2000s. Research is coming along well but we are nowhere close to perfecting the use of these cells.
Before I really begin to go into stem cells we first have to learn what they are. “Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types” (Medical News Today). In short, they are cells that can morph into different types of specialized cells. They start off as just a normal stem cell, but then during mitosis, the cell can create a new cell, that was different from the last, like an ear cell or something. Stem cells are usually found in “Embryos formed during… embryological development, and in adult tissue” (Medical News Today). You can find the embryonic stem cell in “a four- or five-day old embryo” (Medical News Today). The adult tissue stem cells are found through tissue of an adult, primarily the brain, bones, and
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We know of so many ways we could use stem cells, we just fully understand how. “Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer”(How Stuff Works Science). Eventually in the future, we might actually be able to regenerate limbs using stem cells. Stem cells are already being used to treat some sorts of illnesses like leukemia. Scientists are still trying to get a lot more information on these cells so in the future we will have a cure for a lot of deadly