In The Past:
In Our Time:
In The Future:
Stem cell research
There are two types of stem cells, the embryonic stem cells and the adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can differentiate into any sort of specialized tissues. Adult stem cells have the purpose of repairing the body, replacing the damaged cells.
Figure 1:
Stem cell division and differentiation.
A - stem cell;
B - progenitor cell;
C - differentiated cell;
1 - symmetric stem cell division;
2 - asymmetric stem cell division;
3 - progenitor division;
4 - terminal differentiation
http://schools-wikipedia.org/images/735/73541.png
Figure 2:
Another example of stem cell division.
http://www.chxa.com/img/stem-cells-hierarchy.jpg
Stem cells can now be ‘grown’ and specialized into various tissues such as muscles or nerves. They can copy themselves and other types of cells. They are very useful medical therapy. Stem cell therapy can dramatically change the treatment of human diseases. Diseases such as cancer, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and muscle damage might easily be cured by simply replacing the damaged cells by specialized stem cells.
In the future we might even prevent getting diseases by modifying the ‘bad’ cells in a fetus’ body, so that when it gets born and grows up it won’t have a chance of getting cancer or any sort of deadly diseases.
[Robin]