stem cell research

[kermit911]

What is Stem Cell? In as plain english as you can get it. Thanx

Kermit

[gen2]

All (well, almost all) cells contain a complete set of the codes (genes) necessary to create an organism.  Actually though, most of these codes are �switched off� so that each cell does its own job and when it divides, it makes more of the same.  Skin cells only make more skin cells and cannot be used to repair a damaged kidney for example.

Stem cells are special cells that have not yet had any of the codes switched off and so they can potentially be used to repair any part of the body.  They are the cells that all other body cells stem from.  The highest numbers of stem cells are associated with embryos because it is there that they have not yet differentiated into the multitude of tissue types that make up a human being.

Some areas of research are using stem cells to attempt cures for conditions such as Diabetes and Parkinson�s Disease.  Maybe in the future, it may be possible to re-grow lost limbs.  There are of course a number of moral and ethical issues raised by this issue.

[kermit911]

So if Stem Cell Helps people why are there so many people that are against it?  It could be the ultimate cure.

[j2buttonsw]

The problem is that you are growing an embryo then killing it off to get the un-differentiated stem cells. A tough moral issue. I believe you can use stem cells from any embryo to do the repairs but the probelm is that the host body may reject them (as they are not seen as "host cells"). The UK scientists can produce stem cells with the same DNA as the host so there is no fear of rejection. I think it is an exceptionally powerfull technique that I hope will cure many diseases.

[Peter Pedant]

A stem cell is one of basic cells which can turn into all sorts of other cells.

Actually the first experiment in this was 1959 LeJeune. He got Frog spawn, which you will recollect is just one cell - but big! And he irradiated it, so it was now dead frog spawn. And then he got a frog liver cell and got the nucleus and put it into the irradiated frog spawn. Everyone thought that he would get a clump of liver cells or a chunk of liver but instead he got a whole frog! This showed that every frog cell had all the info needed to design a frog. Ths experiment was the equivalent of Einstein's relativity in Biology.

[stevie21]

You'll all understand this humour by this point in the thread
http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?productid=37 9

[Phantaxus]

It is also possible that as a result of stem cell research we may be able to grow replacement organs for transplantation. This would solve two of the biggest problems with transplant surgery. 1. not enough donors 2. tissue rejection.