What is a stem cell and what might we be able to do with them?
A stem cell is a cell which has the ability to not only replicate itself many times, but can also generate daughter cells which turn into other more specialised cell types. Our bodies contain many stem cells and without stem cells we would not be able to live day to day. While very rare, there are stem cells in our bone marrow continually making new red and white blood cells; stem cells in our skin constantly replacing the surface of our bodies; stem cells in the liver that can respond to liver damage; and stem cells in our intestine turning over the lining of our guts. These adult stem cells persist throughout our lives but are limited in the types of specialised cells they can turn into. For example, a stem cell in the crypt of your gut can only turn into epithelial cells of the gut, while dermal stem cells can only replace skin. Such stem cells are referred to as multipotent. In constrast, during development there exist stem cells with an ability to turn into any cell type. Embryoni
