Table of Contents
- 1 Why is adult stem cells better than embryonic?
- 2 What is the difference between adult stem cells and those from an embryo?
- 3 What are advantages of stem cells?
- 4 What are the advantages and disadvantages of stem cells?
- 5 Why we shouldn’t use embryonic stem cells?
- 6 Is it ethical to use embryonic stem cells?
Why is adult stem cells better than embryonic?
Adult stem cells, similar to embryonic stem cells, have the ability to differentiate into more than one cell type, but unlike embryonic stem cells they are often restricted to certain lineages. The ability of a stem cell of one lineage to become another lineage is called transdifferentiation.
Why adult stem cells are better?
Adult stem cells are the body’s toolbox, called into action by normal wear and tear on the body, and when serious damage or disease attack. Researchers believe that adult stem cells also have the potential, as yet untapped, to be tools in medicine.
What is the difference between adult stem cells and those from an embryo?
Embryonic stem cells come from embryos that are three to five days old. Adult stem cells are found in small numbers in most adult tissues, such as bone marrow or fat. Compared with embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells are more limited in their ability to become different cells in the body.
What are the advantages of embryonic stem cells?
Embryonic stem cells offer numerous medical possibilities. These cells are undifferentiated, allowing them to be used in all parts of the body, giving them the potential to cure hundreds of diseases with the use of all of the different cells that can be created from them.
What are advantages of stem cells?
Studies have discovered that stem cell therapy can help enhance the growth of new healthy skin tissue, enhance collagen production, stimulate hair development after incisions or loss, and help substitute scar tissue with newly developed healthy tissue.
Why is the use of embryonic stem cells controversial?
However, human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is ethically and politically controversial because it involves the destruction of human embryos. In the United States, the question of when human life begins has been highly controversial and closely linked to debates over abortion.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of stem cells?
Table 1
Stem cell type | Limitations | Advantages |
---|---|---|
Embryonic stem cells | (1) Ethical dilemmas (2) Possible immune rejection after implantation (3) Only a small number of differentiated cardiomyoctes can be generated (4) May lead to teratocarcinomas (5) Genetic instability | Can differentiate into cells of all three germ layers |
Do adults have embryonic stem cells?
Embryonic stem cells are derived during early development at the blastocyst stage and are pluripotent, meaning that they can differentiate into any cell type. In contrast, adult stem cells are rare, undifferentiated cells present in many adult tissues.
Why we shouldn’t use embryonic stem cells?
In the case of embryonic stem cell research, it is impossible to respect both moral principles.To obtain embryonic stem cells, the early embryo has to be destroyed. This means destroying a potential human life.
Why should we not use embryonic stem cells?
Stem cells differentiate into many specialized cells and are therefore of interest in chronic conditions for which treatment is limited. However, human embryonic stem cell (HESC) research is unethical since it results in the destruction of human life for research purposes.
Is it ethical to use embryonic stem cells?
There are no ethical or moral concerns with the appropriate use of adult stem cells. However, human embryonic stem cell (HESC) research is unethical since it results in the destruction of human life for research purposes.
Why can’t researchers just use adult stem cells instead?
Although research into adult stem cells is promising, adult stem cells may not be as versatile and durable as are embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells may not be able to be manipulated to produce all cell types, which limits how adult stem cells can be used to treat diseases.