I have some Biology homework and I am not quite Sure Whether Adult Stem Cells are the Same thing as Specialized Stem Cells. If they are not can you explain the difference please. Thanks. :)
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Specialized stem cells are cells that are programmed to be only one type of cell. They cannot become something else. For example, the stem cells in bone marrow are specialized to produce blood cells and they cannot be transplanted into someones spinal cord, for example, and magically become CNS spinal cord cells. Once the stem cell is specialized to produce a specific type of cell, that's all it will produce.
Adult stem cell study is a recent, exciting possibility. It was formerly believed that in order to get non-differentiated stem cells, early embryonic cells were the only ones that could be used because they have yet to be programmed by DNA into specific, specialized stem cells. However, there are recent exciting possibilities that indicate that it may be possible to use adult stem cells (or umbilical stem cells) and that they might have the ability to become whichever type of tissue is needed. It is not easy and it is in early stages, but when they refer to adult stem cells and research, they are talking about obtaining stem cells from a grown person to try to use them to repair tissues and organs rather than using recently fertilized embryonic stem cells, which causes moral dilemmas for many people. If adult stem cell research bears fruit, it might not be necessary to destroy a newly fertilized embryo, and that would satisfy just about everyone.
I hope this helped.
Specialized stem cells are cells that are programmed to be only one type of cell. They cannot become something else. For example, the stem cells in bone marrow are specialized to produce blood cells and they cannot be transplanted into someones spinal cord, for example, and magically become CNS spinal cord cells. Once the stem cell is specialized to produce a specific type of cell, that's all it will produce.
Adult stem cell study is a recent, exciting possibility. It was formerly believed that in order to get non-differentiated stem cells, early embryonic cells were the only ones that could be used because they have yet to be programmed by DNA into specific, specialized stem cells. However, there are recent exciting possibilities that indicate that it may be possible to use adult stem cells (or umbilical stem cells) and that they might have the ability to become whichever type of tissue is needed. It is not easy and it is in early stages, but when they refer to adult stem cells and research, they are talking about obtaining stem cells from a grown person to try to use them to repair tissues and organs rather than using recently fertilized embryonic stem cells, which causes moral dilemmas for many people. If adult stem cell research bears fruit, it might not be necessary to destroy a newly fertilized embryo, and that would satisfy just about everyone.
I hope this helped.