Stem Cells?....Boring? SSSSUUUUURRREEE (keep reading)
Some Fast Facts about Stem Cells!
- Stem cells can cure diseases.
- There are three different types of stemcells: embryonic stem cells, (umbilical) cord blood stem cells, and adult stem cells.
- In order to obtain embryonic stem cells scientists must kill an embryo.
- (Umbilical) cord blood stem cells are pluripotent.
- (Umbilical) cord blood stem cells have cured sickle cell.
- Embryonic stem cells are totipotent.
Up there at the top of my page is a picture of a vial of stem cells!!!
Ok Ok your thinking what the heck am I talking about? It's really very simple, when you were born you were just one cell big. When the cells divided they became stem cells. Stem cells are cells that haven't yet found their job in the body. At the stage of life when you were an embryo scientists could have obtained
your stem cells. Those cells when obtained would kill you (or the embryo). But the cells can cure many life threatening diseases.
Now I've only mentioned one type of stem cells. There are actually three types;(umbilical) cord blood stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and adult stem cells. All of these can be obtained at different stages of life.
1) Embryonic stem cells are...
A. Bad
B. Totipotent
C. Fun
2) The facts list says that (umbilical) cord blood stem cells have cured which disease?
A. Sickle Cell
B. Spinal cord injury
C. A cough
3) What do scientists do when they obtain embryonic stem cells?
A. Kill stem cells
B. Hurt the cells
C. Kill an embryo
Answers to The Three Question Quiz
Check out the Stem Cell Research Foundation's website!
Take a look at this article
Here's an awesome article on stem cells for kids!!!
