What are stem cells and how do they work?
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When you were conceived, you started as a single cell. That cell divided over and over, and eventually those cells assumed special roles, so muscle cells are different from brain cells or liver cells.
A stem cell is a cell that hasn’t yet assumed a fixed role, it can still assume several different potential functions. Some stem cells are “universal” meaning they could potentially become any type of cell in the human body, while others have a narrower range of potential, such as a stem cell that could become a nerve cell or a brain cell, but definitely not a muscle cell.
Stem cells are useful for scientific research for a number of reasons. They help us understand how the human body develops. They can potentially be used to repair the body in ways that it normally doesn’t heal (such as replacing organs or curing paralysis). They can also be used for research on vaccines and other medicines.
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