Biology in the Real World Stem Cells

Biology in the Real World

Stem Cells

Almost all life forms have stem cells in them and the main purpose of these cells is that through the process of mitosis they can divide into other various kinds of cells as well as into other stem cells. In animals there are 2 kinds of stem cells:

Embryonic stem cells and

Adult stem cells.

The embryonic stem cells are the ones that are completely unattached from the blastocyst's inner cell mass and these cells are of great importance for a developing embryo and these are known as the pluripotent cells but these cells also play a great role in the normal return of the regenerative organs like blood, intestinal tissues and skin. Whereas, when it comes to the adult organisms these stem cells work as the replenishment system for the body as it refreshes the adult tissues and for this reason they are said to have a progenitor nature (Tuch, 2006).

Mainly there are three ways through which the stem cells can be extracted from a person's body:

1. From the adipose tissues, here the stem cells are extracted through liposuction.

2. From the bone marrow, in this technique the stem cells are extracted by harvesting which means the bone is drilled into, mostly the femur or iliac crest are the parts that are drilled into.

3. Through the process of pheresis the stem cells are extracted from the blood of the donor with the help of a machine and then the rest of the blood is returned to the body of the donor (Tuch, 2006).

Now the plastic stem cells are being used in the medical therapies on a regular basis such as in the bone marrow transplant. These stem cells are also now being produced artificially in the medical labs where they are differentiated and specialized into cells of various regions such as the nerve cell, muscles etc. The autologous embryonic cells along with the embryonic cell lines which are being created through the therapeutic cloning are said to have very promising future in the upcoming therapies (Tuch, 2006).

It is very strongly believed by the medical researchers that the stem cell therapies have the tendency to change the treatment of human diseases to a large extent. There are still many diseases that are being treated by the stem cell therapies such as the bone marrow transplant which is being used for the treatment of leukemia all over the world. Also, it is being anticipated by the medical researchers that in the coming future they will have ways through which they will be able to treat the Parkinson disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cancer, muscle damage, multiple sclerosis and the treatments of all these diseases will be done by the techniques that will based on the stem cell therapy. However, these still are many uncertainties that are there with regards to the effectiveness and the side effects of stem cells (Goldman and Windrem, 2006).

Some researchers doubt that there is a possibility that the stem cell treatment might result in some tumors and if the division of cells can't be controlled there is a possibility that those cells may become cancerous (Goldman and Windrem, 2006). The main reason why stem cells are being studied extensively is their inherent interest and their probable therapeutic usage (Wade, 2006).

The researchers who are in the favor of the embryonic stem cell research are arguing that this research should be continued as it can have many probable benefits, what they say is that many embryos should be created through the vitro fertilization and then they should be given away or used for research by the consent of the associated authorities (Wade, 2006).