What Is Stem Cell Research

What is a stem cell?

Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different cell types in the body including blood cells and brain cells.  Stem cells can theoretically divide into another stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function. There is great hope for stem cell reasearch to develop many treatments and possibly even cures for a wide range of hard to treat or cure diseases.

What is stem cell research?

It is a new technology using primitive human cells and developing them into most of the many varieties of cells in the human body. Human stem cells come from embryos or adult tissue. Adult stem cells are predominantly formed in the bone marrow. Embryonic stem cells can be created or be leftover embryos from processes like in-vitro fertilization. Stem cell reasearch is a controversely debated subject because of it's ethical concerns.