Stem Cell Web Quest

Stem Cell Web Quest
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stem-cells/CA00081

What are stem cells? – Include two important qualities.
 A stem cell is a cell that all other cells with specialized functions are generated from. Under the right conditions, stem cells may be engineered to produce more stem cells.

http://www.tellmeaboutstemcells.org/stem-cell-basics/the-two-types.php

Where can stem cells be found?
 Stem cells can be found in embryos and in certain tissues of adults.

http://www.dnalc.org/stemcells.html
How are embryonic stem cells obtained?
Embryonic stem cells are obtained by embryos

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/scireport/chapter4.asp
List 6 places that “adult” stem cells have been found.
brain
bone marrow
peripheral blood
dental pulp
spinal cord
blood vessels

http://www.stemcellresearchfacts.com/pros_cons.html
What are the pros and cons of Embryonic and Adult Stem cells?
Pros: stem cells can be used to replace organs of those who need transplants.
Cons: To many, life begins at contraception, which means that by harvesting stem cells from embryos, scientists are killing people.

There has been a lot of hope for the future of stem cell research.  Scientists in many different areas look forward to finding treatments and cures for many disabling and fatal diseases.  Below are several websites that describe a few of these possibilities.

http://www.stemcell.umn.edu/stemcell/stemcell101/dzfacts/parkinsonsdisease.html

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/News_and_campaigns/Policy_Watch/stemcells.htm

What are 2 neurological disorders that may be helped by stem cells?
Parkinsons and Alzheimer's
How can stem cells possibly help people with these diseases?
Stem cells may reverse the effects of the disease

http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/pecorino2.html

How could stem cells help burn victims?
 Stem cells residing in the hair follicles can be cultured to produce an epidermal equivilant of skin that can be graftrd back onto a person.
http://ww2.arthritis.org/resources/news/news_stemupdate.asp

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/Diabetes-And-Stem-Cell-Research.html

How may two autoimmune diseases be helped by stem cells?
 Mesenchymal stem cells are proving to have significant effects on a variety of autoimmune type of problems such as arthritis

Stem cell replacement would simply be a case of swapping insulin-producing cells from a healthy pancreas with those destroyed by diabetes in a diabetic patient.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3209/04.html
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