What are stem cells and why are they important in research?
In: Biology
If we took samples from your body of different parts and looked at them under a microscope we would be able to tell the difference between different types of cells. A brain cell would look like a brain cell and a muscle cell would looks like a muscle cell. They both contain a full copy of your DNA, but the brain cell is reading the part of your DNA that instructs it to be a brain cell, and the muscle cell is following inscriptions for being a muscle cell. If we transplant a brain cell into your muscle it will only ever be an out of place brain cell and will probably die.
A stem cell is a cell that has yet to determine what “type” of cell it is going to become. Therefore they are very valuable for medical treatment and research. They can teach us a lot about how cells and DNA work, and they are important for treating many genetic diseases.
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