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Stem Cell

A stem cell is significantly unique in that it has the ability to transform itself into almost any other type of cell required by the body. It is known as a “progenitor” cell because it is the stuff of which other cells are made. Furthermore, the capacity of a stem cell to continuously divide itself for as long as it is in a living human or animal earns it the distinction of being a repair system for its host. Each new cell created by the division of an earlier cell can either stay a stem cell or develop into a more specific type of cell, such as a heart cell, a white blood cell, or a kidney cell.

It is precisely due to its unspecialized nature that the stem cell is highly valued and at the center of a much touted field of scientific study. When laboratory experiments proved that, under specific conditions, a stem cell could be manipulated by researchers to develop into a cell with predetermined functions, a slew of childhood and adult illnesses were reviewed for possible new means of treatment.

Additional Entries on Stem Cells

Classes of Stem Cells
Adult Stem Cell
Embryonic Stem Cell
Cord Blood Stem Cell
Therapeutic Cloning
Ethical Implications of Stem Cell Research

Web Resources On Stem Cell

Stem Cell Research
Wikipedia: Stem Cells

Book Resources On Stem Cell

Stem Cell Research: New Frontiers in Science and Ethics by Nancy E. Snow
Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine by Committee on Biological & Biomedical Application

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