Stem cell research Pt 1 (Post 4)

Hi there everyone! Today, I would like to talk about stem cells. Firstly, I would like you to know what stem cells are.


This is a diagram of how stem cells work.

Now, let me talk to you about the definition of stem cells. Stem cells are cells found in all multi cellular organisms. Also, they are characterized by the ability to be able to be renewed into different cell types.

As such, stem cells are especially useful as they can act as a repair system for the body and replenish specialised cells which have been damaged or destroyed.

Now, let me talk about the history of stem cells. The term "stem cells" was proposed for scientific use by Russian histologist Alexander Maksimov in 1908. The first bone marrow transplant within two siblings happens subsequently 6 decades later in 1968. And finally in 2006, Scientists at Newcastle University in England create the first ever artificial liver cells using umbilical cord blood stem cell.

There are a few typesof stem cells but I will be talking about 2 types this time- embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.Below is a picture of embyronic stem cells.



Embryonic stem cell are cultures of cells derived from the epiblast tissue of the inner cell mass of a blastocyst or earlier morula stage embryos. A blastocyst is an early stage embryo—approximately four to five days old in humans and consisting of 50–150 cells.

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent and give rise during development to all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. In other words, they can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult body.