Stem cells
(The raw materials in the body . Under the right conditions, they also split to form daughter cells)
Totipotent cells- Cells that are able to become all types of cells in the body. E.G.- The zygote formed after fertilization.
The zygote is a totipotent cell. It is obtained within 4-5 days of fertilization.
Multipotent cells- pluripotent cells soon undergo further specialisation, which can give rise to a limited number of other types of cells.
Multipotent cells are found in both developing fetuses and also fully developed human beings. They are mostly taken from the umbilical cord or the bone marrow.
cons of stem cells.
stem cells take a long time to grow and it also takes a lot of care to grow them.
many treatments can also be rejected by the patient's body, which can cause numerous side effects.
There is also a lot of ethical controversy about using the fetus.
Pluripotent cells- the cells that are able to create every cell in the human body, other than the placenta and the extra-embryonic tissues.
pluripotent cells are isolated from the germ line of the cells of fetuses. They can also be obtained from the embryo.
Pluripotent cells can be derived from cells that exist in the blastocyst stage until their migration to and conversion within the developing gonads into either the sperm or egg. These are taken from terminated pregnancies, where parents independantlydecide to end the pregnancy and give the researchers their consent.
Pros of multipotent or pluripotent cells
pluripotent stem cells will allow scientists do deeply explore the factors involved in cell specialisation. This will be needed if stem cells were to be ever used therpeutically.
Stem cell research can also allow doctors to determine what causes diseases such as uncontrolled cell division.
adult stem cells have the potential to cure many diseases, particularly genetic disorders.
Stakeholder perspectives
stem cell researchers think that stem cell research could help the health community by leaps and bounds. they think that this research can cause them to have a better understanding of various subjects and also about certain diseases.
The government thinks that federal funding would make stem cell research more public and that there would have to be a lot of guidelines. They also think that not providing funding would jeapordise th US and Canada's position as the leading health countries.
Pharmacologists think it is great and that it would make human trials for various drugs safer. It would also bring drug costs down.