Stem cells Flashcards
what are stem cells?
stem cells are undifferentiated cells of an organism which can differentiate into any type of cell
where can we get stem cells from?
in the embryo (embryonic stem cells)
from an adults bone marrow
why could embryonic stem cells be considered better than adult bone marrow stem cells?
embryonic stem cells can differentiate into any type of cell whereas adult bone marrow cells can only differentiate into blood cells
also many embryonic stem cells can be created in a lab and can be extracted from these embryos but when adult stem cells are extracted its a very painful procedure for the patient
embryonic stem cells can be used to treat many diseases whereas adult stem cells can only be used to treat a few
also theres a risk that adult bone marrow stem cells can be rejected by the recipients body
why could embryonic stem cells be considered worse than adult bone marrow stem cells?
they can be expensive to grow in a lab
embryonic stem cells can cause ethical issues as the embryo as they are destroyed and had the potential to become a baby whereas adult bone marrow cells have no ethical issues as the adult has consent
