Stem cells are a type of cell that can differentiate into any other type of cell in the body. They are self-renewing and can divide indefinitely to create more stem cells. Stem cells are found in all tissues of the body, including the blood, bone marrow, skin, and gut. There are two types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells, which come from embryos, and adult stem cells, which come from adults.
Embryonic stem cells can become any type of cell in the body. They are derived from embryos that are three to five days old. These Cells dividing rapidly in culture and have an unlimited capacity for self-renewal through multiple rounds of cell division. When they are transplanted into animals they can give rise to every tissue type in the body including heart muscle , liver , pancreas etc . In addition to their ability to generate all cell types embryonic stem cells also show promise for use in regenerative medicine therapies to repair or replace damaged tissue as a result of injury or disease . However there remains some controversy surrounding their use due largely to ethical concerns over the destruction of human embryos .
Adult stem cells on the other hand are thought be limited to generating only certain cell types depending on their location in the body . For example hematopoietic (blood) stem cells give rise to red blood cells white blood cells and platelets while mesenchymal (bone marrow) stem cells generate bone cartilage and fat . Despite this apparent limitation recent studies have shown that adultstemcells may also have greater potential than previously thought . For example it has been demonstrated that adult neural (brain)stemcells can generate new neurons throughout life albeit at a slower rate than during embryonic development Additionally adult hepatic(liver) progenitor Cells have been used successfully regenerate functional liver tissue following surgical removal or damage caused by disease .The abilityof some adultstemcell populations toproduce multiple different cell types combined with their accessibility from minimally invasive procedures makes them appealing candidates for regenerative therapies .
Despite these advances much work still needs to be done before clinical treatments usingstemcells become commonplace . First it is important improve our understanding how best totransplant these Cells so that they will function properlyin vivo(in a living animal). Second large-scale production methods must be developedsthat meet regulatory standards for manufacturing pharmaceuticals while still being economically feasible enoughfor widespread clinical use Third current ethical debates regardingthe usehumanembryonicstem needto be resolved before theseCellscanbe used clinically Finally we need learn more about how manipulateadultstomach so that they will proliferateand differentiate into desired lineages when transplanted patients with diseases like diabetes mellitus or Parkinson’s disease where loss offunctioning pancreatic beta Cellsand dopaminergic neuronsrespectivelyare key features