Concept of stem cells
Ultimately, every cell in the human body can be traced back to a fertilized egg that came into existence from the union of egg and sperm. But the body is made up of over 200 different types of cells, not just one. All of these cell types come from a pool of stem cells in the early embryo.
Stem cells are one of the most fascinating areas of biology today. But like many expanding fields of
scientific inquiry,research on stem cells raises scientific questions as rapidly as it generates new
discoveries.
Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.
Stem cells are one of the most fascinating areas of biology today. But like many expanding fields of
scientific inquiry,research on stem cells raises scientific questions as rapidly as it generates new
discoveries.
Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.