Biological Trends of the 21st Century

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Biological Trends of the 21st Century

Stem cells in general refer to cells in their early stages that possess the ability to differentiate , grow and develop continuously into specialized cells of other types . It is their unique features that have led to their potential use in treating life threatening diseases such as Parkinson 's , Alzheimer 's and cancer . There are two broad categories of stem cells (Johnson and Williams , 2008

Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC ) which

are harvested from blastocytes 7-10 days old and foetuses

Adult Stem Cells (ASC ) which are obtained from adult tissues and cut umbilical cords after birth (Cell Therapy Foundation , 2010

The field of medicine has been revolutionised by these two types of stem cells each with its benefits and draw backs

Adult stem cells on the one hand , are easily obtained and harvested as potential sources include the skin , muscle , bone marrow and fat . Some forms of ASCs are obtained from the cut umbilical cords of recently born children . Traditionally , such have been disposed of but now find use as a source . Adult stem cells are thus beneficial in that the umbilical cord from birth can be used to generate cells for the particular patients in future . Immunological challenges are thus eliminated . Recent research into ASCs has revealed that they can be differentiated as intended for different organs . Much of the controversy that surrounded stem cell research through use of ESCs has...