Image credit: Genome Research Limited Why are stem cells useful?
Just like embryonic stem cells, they are pluripotent so they can develop into any cell type.Ī scientist here at the Wellcome Genome Campus working on induced pluripotant stem cells. #I BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK BABE I KNOW A FEW FACTS SKIN#
‘Induced’ means that they are made in the lab by taking normal adult cells, like skin or blood cells, and reprogramming them to become stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells, or ‘iPS cells’, are stem cells that scientists make in the laboratory. Image credit: Genome Research Limited Induced pluripotent stem cells Skin (or ‘epithelial’) stem cells provide the different types of cells that make up our skin and hair.Īn illustration showing different types of stem cell in the body. Blood (or ‘haematopoietic’) stem cells can only replace the various types of cells in the blood. Adult stem cells are said to be multipotent, which means they can only change into some cells in the body, not any cell, for example:. Adult stem cells supply new cells as an organism grows and to replace cells that get damaged. These stem cells are said to be pluripotent, which means they can change into any cell in the body. Embryonic stem cells supply new cells for an embryo as it grows and develops into a baby. There are three main types of stem cell:. Image credit: Genome Research Limited Different types of stem cell As they divide, they can change into the other types of cell that make up the body.Īn illustration showing a stem cell giving rise to more stem cells or specialised cells. They can divide over and over again to produce new cells. They have two unique properties that enable them to do this: Stem cells provide new cells for the body as it grows, and replace specialised cells that are damaged or lost. Most cells are specialised to perform particular functions, such as red blood cells that carry oxygen around our bodies in the blood, but they are unable to divide. Our body is made up of many different types of cell.
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