Why Are Stem Cells Important

Define Stem Cells and give background information on them. Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into special cell types. There are two types of Stem Cells: Adult Stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from embryos that are 3-5 days old. They are often taken from the umbilical cord. They are used more than adult stem cells. Adult stem cells mainly come from bone marrow. Their primary function is to maintain homeostasis by replacing cells that die because of injury / disease. Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different cell types during early life and growth. In many tissues, stem cells can serve as an internal repair system. They can divide essentially without limit to replenish other cells. When a stem cell divides, it has the potential to
Stem Cell research holds promise for the treatments of AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury and stroke. In Retinal diseases, scientists and researchers have been able to direct the growth of photoreceptor cells from stem cells. A healthy retina is crucial for good vision. The retina is a layer of nerve tissue in the back of your eye that senses light and sends images to your brain. In the center of the retina is what is known as the macula. The macula provides sharp vision for things such as driving, reading and seeing in fine detail, Retinal disorders can cause damage to this vital tissue that can affect your vision and some can be serious enough to cause blindness. Stem cells can be used to cure retinal disorders, especially macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a disease that destroys your sharp central vision. Stem cells can be injected into the macula in order to repair the damaged nerve