A Brief Introduction to Stem Cells

Roxy Jones
Nov 2 · 4 min read

Stem Cells are the next big thing. The future of medicine as we know it today. Imagine being able to grow back a finger, a hand, even an entire limb. This is all made possible with stem cells.

Stem Cell Model

What exactly IS a stem cell?

A stem cell is a part of the foundation of the human body. All cells which serve a function are generated from stem cells. Stem cells don’t have a specific function, but they can differentiate into any kind of body cell needed (differentiate: a stem cell changing to serve a purpose). These cells can repair or even rebuild some parts of the human body. Stem cells can be used in labs to grow things like livers, hearts, and lungs (in the future). Some sort of stem cells can be found in anyone’s body at any point in their life.

All stem cells can differentiate, as well as self-renew. Differentiating stem cells develop into more specialized cells, such as a heart or a lung cell. Self-renewing stem cells make copies of themselves. The daughter cells of these renewed cells are either differentiated by human interference (in a lab) or a stem cell of the same category as the parent.

The Origin:

Stem cells come from a variety of places. Many stem cells are made at many different periods of human life. However, as people begin to age more and start to lose metabolism, hair, and even energy, the stem cell count in their body depletes, and is significantly less than the amount that they were born with. These stem cells are not all of the same types. The four main types of stem cells include embryonic, adult, mesenchymal, and induced pluripotent.

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem cells come from little baby fetuses, in the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, a hollow ball of cells created 3–5 days after an egg is fertilized. To put it in perspective, a human blastocyst is about the size of this period “.”

Embryonic stem cells are also pluripotent, meaning they can become whatever cell they want!

Adult Stem Cells

Also called “tissue-specific cells,” adult stem cells are specific to the tissue or organ in which they live, hence the name. These cells are like the pluripotent embryonic stem cells, except they are narrowed down to just specific organs and tissue.

These cells don’t reproduce as much or as quickly as embryonic, making them more difficult to find in the human body.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Cells isolated from the stroma (the tissue which surrounds other tissue and organs). These cells are also called stromal cells. Scientists do not fully understand mesenchymal cells just yet, but they know that they are capable of making bone, cartilage, and fat cells.

Many mesenchymal cells are thought of to have stem cell attributes and are being tested for many diseases and sicknesses.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells are kind of cheaters. They are adult cells (from the skin) taken to a lab and changed to act like an embryonic stem cell. This allows scientists to modify the cells before they become embryonic, furthering the individuality of each individual. These cells would be fundamental in science and health research and allow for a larger variety of medical cures.

Although induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells are very similar, they still have many differences. Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what these differences are and how they affect the effect of the cells when coming into contact with a disease in the human body.

Ethical Issues

Embryonic stem cells come from the blastocyst, and when harvesting them, it kills the embryo. Many scientists and biologists question whether it is right to do so. As an alternative, embryos no longer needed can go through in vitro fertilization (when an egg is fertilized outside the body in a test tube). Scientists can then use these embryos to get embryonic stem cells.

Stem Cells and Cancer

Stem cells can be used on a patient once the cancer is gone, to help rebuild the damaged cells. But can they be used for curing cancer? The answer is that they can’t do so right now, but many studies are being done to see how stem cells can help. Stem cells aren’t a current treatment for patients with cancer since the stem cells could possibly be taken over by the cancer cells and then spread even more quickly throughout the body.

The Future

Stem cells are the future of medicine. When harnessed correctly, then perhaps they may be able to solve any disease. This would be a huge healthcare reform, on that is very soon to come.

Roxy Jones

Written by

TKS Innovator in Las Vegas, Nevada

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade