What are STEM CELLS? And What Can they Do?

Introduction to Stem Cells

This transcript introduces the concept of stem cells and their role in maintaining homeostasis. It also discusses the two types of human stem cells: embryonic and adult stem cells.

What are Stem Cells?

• Stem cells are cells that divide to produce specialized other cells in order to replace the worn out ones and maintain the homeostasis.

• Specialized cells are differentiated from its precursor stem cells to maintain the body's internal environment.

Types of Human Stem Cells

• Two kinds of stem cells of human sources have been known: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.

• Embryonic stem cell has the ability to differentiate into any necessary type of body cells, while adult stem cell has limited differentiation of cells specific only to its tissue origin.

Examples of Stem Cell Applications

This section provides examples of how stem cells can be used in various applications.

Blood Cell Production

• Kidneys secrete a hormone into the blood when there is a rising demand for oxygen from our body, which sends a signal to bone marrow for the differentiation of stem cells into more red blood cells to fulfill our body's need.

Skin Grafting

• Stem cells are being cultured to create skin that can be grafted on burned bruises.

Cultured Meat and Plants

• Another example of cultured stem cell is cultured meat, which may be considerably more beneficial to our health and environment than conventional meat.

• Plants are also possible to be created in labs by providing a specific amount of nutrients and growth factors for the undifferentiated, non-specialized stem cells, to start generating shoots and roots.