Stem cells are indistinguishable biological cells, which then become specialized cells. Stem cells in adult organisms also have the function, together with progenitor cells, to act as a repair system of a body and to replace ‘expired’ adult tissue. Progenitor cells are cells that are already are more specialized than Stem cells but still can change into specialized cells. Through mitosis Stem cell can divide to produce more stem cells. This also happens with embryonic stem cells. They are isolated from the inner cell mass of blastocysts (a structure that is formed in the first days of a pregnancy) and later on that inner cell mass forms the embryo. In a developing embryo stem cells can either turn into any specialized cell or maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs like blood.
There are three known accessible sources of corresponding adult stem cells in humans. The most accessed source is the bone marrow, which you can donate to help another ill person, then you can also access it in Adipose tissue and Blood. Stem cells can also taken from the umbilical cord blood just after birth and nowadays they can be grown artificially and then changed into specialized cells.
The main properties of stem cells are that they are self-renewal, which means that they can divide often but still maintain their undifferentiated state, and that they have potency, so are able to become a specialized cell. They are usually identified by whether they can regenerate tissue. Under a transmission electron micrograph, which we can see in the picture above, we can see the stem cell to have typical ultra structural characteristics. To test if it is bone marrow or hemapoietic stem cells you have to check for the ability to transplant the cell and save an individual cell without HCSs and this shows that the cell can produce new blood cells over a long period of time.
There are different types of stem cells.
Firstly there are the embryonic stem cells, which have derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst. They are able to develop into any of the over 200 cell types of an adult body when given sufficient and necessary stimulation for a specific type.
Then there are Adult stem cells also known as Somatic stem cells. They are stem cells, which maintain and repair the tissue in which they are located. Bone marrow is a very rich source of adult stem cells. When you get older the quantity of bone marrow stem cells decline and it is also greater n males than females during reproductive years.
There are also Amniotic stem cells, which are multipotent stem cells that can be found in amniotic fluid. These stem cells are very active, expand extensively without feeders and are not tumorigenic.
For a stem cell to stay self-renewal, the cell has to undergo two types of division. The first is the symmetric division that gives raise to two identical daughter cells both containing stem cell properties. The second division is the Asymmetrical division. In this the cell only produces one stem cell and a progenitor cell with restricted self-renewal potential. Progenitors are able to go through several rounds of cell division before finally differentiating into a mature cell.
Stem cells are very useful for medical uses. They have the potential use to treat Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Osteo arthritis, stroke and traumatic brain injury repair, learning defects, spinal cord injury repair, heart infarct, anti-cancer, baldness, replace missing teeth, repair hearing, restore vision, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and wound healing. The main use of stem cells is stem cells therapy to treat or prevent a disease or condition. In this therapy bone marrow is transplanted and this has been used for many years without disagreement. There are many researches at the moment to develop various sources for stem cells and to use stem cells for neurogenerative diseases and conditions, heart disease and other conditions.
Stem cells also have disadvantages. Stem cell treatment often requires immunosuppression due to a requirement for radiation before the transplant to remover the patient’s previous cells or so that the immune system of the patient doesn’t target the new stem cells. To prevent the stem cells to reject the new stem cells you can also use stem cells from the patient that is getting treated.
There are three known accessible sources of corresponding adult stem cells in humans. The most accessed source is the bone marrow, which you can donate to help another ill person, then you can also access it in Adipose tissue and Blood. Stem cells can also taken from the umbilical cord blood just after birth and nowadays they can be grown artificially and then changed into specialized cells.
The main properties of stem cells are that they are self-renewal, which means that they can divide often but still maintain their undifferentiated state, and that they have potency, so are able to become a specialized cell. They are usually identified by whether they can regenerate tissue. Under a transmission electron micrograph, which we can see in the picture above, we can see the stem cell to have typical ultra structural characteristics. To test if it is bone marrow or hemapoietic stem cells you have to check for the ability to transplant the cell and save an individual cell without HCSs and this shows that the cell can produce new blood cells over a long period of time.
There are different types of stem cells.
Firstly there are the embryonic stem cells, which have derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst. They are able to develop into any of the over 200 cell types of an adult body when given sufficient and necessary stimulation for a specific type.
Then there are Adult stem cells also known as Somatic stem cells. They are stem cells, which maintain and repair the tissue in which they are located. Bone marrow is a very rich source of adult stem cells. When you get older the quantity of bone marrow stem cells decline and it is also greater n males than females during reproductive years.
There are also Amniotic stem cells, which are multipotent stem cells that can be found in amniotic fluid. These stem cells are very active, expand extensively without feeders and are not tumorigenic.
For a stem cell to stay self-renewal, the cell has to undergo two types of division. The first is the symmetric division that gives raise to two identical daughter cells both containing stem cell properties. The second division is the Asymmetrical division. In this the cell only produces one stem cell and a progenitor cell with restricted self-renewal potential. Progenitors are able to go through several rounds of cell division before finally differentiating into a mature cell.
Stem cells are very useful for medical uses. They have the potential use to treat Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Osteo arthritis, stroke and traumatic brain injury repair, learning defects, spinal cord injury repair, heart infarct, anti-cancer, baldness, replace missing teeth, repair hearing, restore vision, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease and wound healing. The main use of stem cells is stem cells therapy to treat or prevent a disease or condition. In this therapy bone marrow is transplanted and this has been used for many years without disagreement. There are many researches at the moment to develop various sources for stem cells and to use stem cells for neurogenerative diseases and conditions, heart disease and other conditions.
Stem cells also have disadvantages. Stem cell treatment often requires immunosuppression due to a requirement for radiation before the transplant to remover the patient’s previous cells or so that the immune system of the patient doesn’t target the new stem cells. To prevent the stem cells to reject the new stem cells you can also use stem cells from the patient that is getting treated.