Adult Stem Cells

Adult Stem Cells

Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are found among differentiated cells within an organ or issue that can re-grow itself into the major specialized cell types of the organ or tissue. The most common use of stem cells is found among bone marrow, which is how they were found. In the 50s researchers found two types of stem cells within the bone marrow: hematopoietic stem cells and bone marrow stromal stem cells. The stromal cells can generate bone, cartilage, and fat cells that can form blood and connective tissue. A lot of the time the use of adult stem cells can be harmful to the human’s bone from which it came from. Luckily, researchers have found out that stem cells are found in many organs and tissues, such as the brain, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, and testis. One problem arises is the fact that there isn’t many stem cells found in each tissue.

            Once stem cells are removed from a tissue, the ability for the other stem cells to divide and reproduce is limited which means that gathering a lot of stem cells is kind of difficult. Scientists have been trying to find out ways to culture the cell and to grow large quantities of them so that they can treat injuries or diseases. Creating more and more stem cells and keeping them in a cultured and controlled environment is also a problem because with stem cell research evolving pretty quickly, more and more people are going to want to have stem cells in case they need them. Which is also why adult stem cells are difficult to deal with, since the stem cells can be used for you and only you. Stem cells taken from an embryo can be used on anyone and anywhere where the stem cells will be accepted by the body.  

            Adult stem cells are a great alternative to embryonic stem cells because the extraction from the subject won’t kill them. The only that will happen, if scientists take too many, is the stem cells won’t have the ability to reproduce any more as stated above. This type of stem cell research is much more accepted by the pro-lifers and the rest of society. One of the down sides to adult stem cells is that the site of the extraction of the stem cells can be damaged due to the fact that the stem cells can’t reproduce anymore so scientists have to be careful when want to learn more because there can be a wide variety of health effect involving adult stem cell extraction. With technology and medicine evolving every day and year, the extraction and use of adult stem cells can be a normal thing of the future with no health risks.

            People normally don’t know that there are three types of stem cells, so when they think of stem cells they think of one of three and think that they are all the same. With this people can either be real bitter towards the topic or real supportive.