Stem+Cells

= Definition of a Stem Cell: = toc An undifferentiated cell of a multicellular organism that is capable of giving rise to indefinitely more cells of the same type, and from which certain other kinds of cell arise by differentiation

But what does this mean...?
Stem cells are unique from all other cells; they are unspecialized, and can be induced to become any type of cell through genetic engineering.

The Three Catergories of Stem Cells

 * Embryonic
 * Somatic
 * Induced Pluripotent

__Embryonic__

 * Primitive (undifferentiated) cells derived from a 5-day preimplantation embryo that are capable of dividing without differentiating for a prolonged period in culture, and are known to develop into cells and tissues of the three primary germ layers
 * Come from embryos that were in vitro fertilized
 * They are grown in a laboratory as a cell culture, and are placed on a dish with a layer of nutrients called a culture medium
 * If grown successfully, they will continue to be placed on new dishes, which is called a passage
 * If they continue to grow without genetic change, they become known as pluripotent

__Somatic (or Adult)__

 * Somatic stem cells, like embryonic, are undifferentciated; however, they are found among differentiated organs and cell tissues in the body
 * Their primary function is to repair damaged tissue when needed
 * Researchers hope they will be able to utilize more of these stem cells for transplants in the future, however they are currently only used for bone marrow transplants
 * Bone marrow transplants have been used since they were discovered in the 1950's
 * Future research may lead to plasticity, or the ability to manipulate an adult stem cell to develop into a type of cell it origionally could not

__Induced Pluripotent__

 * Genetically reprogrammed adult cells to be like embryonic stem cells
 * Capable of generating cells of all three germ layers
 * Induced Pluripotent stem cells are the newest form and still have years of research ahead of them
 * Much less controversial because it is not taken from an embryo

= How can we use these for medical purposes? =


 * Various blood and immunologic disorders
 * Bone marrow transplantation in patients with acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma, severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome, sickle-cell disease, bone marrow failure syndromes such as severe aplastic anemia

Diseases & Potential Cures Video = Possible advancements in the future = = Materials Needed: =
 * Treatment for cardiovascular diseases by using stem cells to regernate damaged tissue
 * Insulin producing cells that can be implanted into diabetes patients
 * A renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases like Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis
 * Treatment for sickle cell anemia
 * Culture dish
 * Donor egg
 * Cells from the patient
 * Nutrient-rich Pitri dishes
 * Sperm and egg for in vitro method
 * Chemical markers to label different stem cell types

= How does it work? = = =
 * # Embryonic stem cells are grown from in vitro fertilization (male and female sperm and egg are combined in a culture dish) or by therapudic cloning in which the cells of the patient are implanted in the egg of a donor and the nucleus is switched so the chance of the body rejecting the cells is decreased. (For more information on cloning, see Cloning by Dana Delpha)
 * 1) After 3 to 5 days the cells grow to about 100 and become known as pluripotent, as mentioned above, and can then be differentiated into any of the 220 cell types in the body
 * 2) Growing continues in nutrient-rich Pitri dishes for months where millions of stem cells will be created
 * 3) At this point researchers have a stem cell line, which can be frozen and sent to other labs for vital research
 * 4) Adult stem cells are similar in development however they are found throughout the body with differentiated cells and must marked by their various protein receptors
 * 5) From these stem cells, researchers can then switch on and off the genes necessary to make the appropriate stem cell; however, much more research is required to determine exactly how it all works and can be implemented in treatments ||

= = = = = Stem Cells on TV = Dr. Oz talks about stem cells on Oprah, Novemeber, 2009

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= Interactive Activities = Explore this interative webpage to learn more about stem cells and watch various videos about stem cells Click here! Play a stem cell based game on the Learn Genetics website called Go Go Stem Cells

= Can you complete this Crossword Puzzle? = = = =Works Cited=