Stem Cell

As I read an article about stem cells  I found it to be really interesting. I found out that there unique properties of all stem cells are that they can split up and renew themselves, they are unspecialized , and give rise to specialized cell types. Some of the words that were important to me and that i needed to understand were cell-based therapies, differentiation, embryonic stem line, proliferation, plasticity, and pluripotent.

Cell-based therapies-  treatment in which stem cells are introduced to differentiate into the specific cell type required to repair damages or destroyed or tissues.

Differentiation- The process whereby an unspecialized embryonic cell acquires the features of a specialized such as a heart liver or muscle.

Embryonic stem cell line- Embryonic stem cell which have been cultured under in vitro conditions that allow proliferation without differentiation for months to years.

Proliferation- Expansion of the number of cells by the continuous division of single cells into two identical daughter cells

Pluripotent- having ability to give rise to all of the various cell types of the body.

Plasticity-  the quality of being easily shaped or molded


Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In many tissues they have to the internal repair system as long as the person is still alive. When a stem cell divides each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become a different stem cell. Like a muscle cell or a red blood cell or even a brain cell. Just imagine if we were all cells and we kept making duplicates of ourselves that would be a lot of people on earth.

Stem cells are important for living organisms because the inner cell give rise to the entire body of the organism. Also the stem cells replace the ones that are lost through normal wear and tear injury or disease. Stem cells also provide a new type of potential. That is to treat diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. In order for this to take place much more work is needed. This is to be done in a laboratory and the clinic to understand how to use these cells for (one of our key terms) cell-based therapies to treat disease.

Stem cells only work when developing and growth. Also if you had an injury in any part of your body. In my understanding of stem cells. Once you are growing inside of you mothers womb you start developing stem cells which divide up into so many cells. Each cell has its own function to maintain. Like one can be for the skin bone heart and lungs, another one can be for the veins blood and fingers and so on. Once you are born you are still developing these cells as you get older. Once your old enough to walk lets say your riding your bike and you fall. You have hurt your arm and scraped your leg. Quickly the stem cells form cells and divide up into what you need to heal your arm and your scraped leg, and as you get older and stem cells will stay with you forever and ever so where you are and get hurt the stem cells are able to repair any damage you have cause to yourself or them.