Stem cells Flashcards
what are stem cells
undifferentiated cell that can be differentiated
where can you get stem cells
from embryos (embryonic stem cells) these can turn into any kind of cell.
from adults (adult stem cells) these can only turn into a few types of cells and they are hard to get
what is done with stem cells in a lab
they get cloned in a lab and the scientist can
get them to differentiate into any cell they want and then use them in medicine or research
how are stem cells used in medicine
some people are injected with their own stem cells to repair damaged tissue (stem cell therapy)
what do scientist believe they can do in the future with stem cells
cure paralysis and even grow organs for people
what are the arguments made in the debate of stem cell use
They think embryos deserve human rights and should not be used in experiments
They think that the cells can get a virus by dealing with them in a lab
If stem cell are not inserted properly they can lead to cancer
Some say stem cell research is ok once you don’t use embryos
Some that there are lots of embryos left over from fertility treatment that are going to be thrown away and to use those
Some say that the rights of an embryo are less important than the diseases that can be cured
