Adult Stem Cells

          Adult stem cells are the stem cells that come from an adult body and are used to repair minor damage to the organs in which they are located. For example, if a bone is broken, adult stem cells replace some of the damaged bone. They can also treat leukemia and other diseases (Wikipedia, 2008). Also, unlike embryonic stem cells, adult cells are not controversial because unlike embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells do not need to have an embryo destroyed to use them in a lab. (Wikipedia, 2008).

          The Longevity Meme (2007) and Wikipedia (2008), say that adult stem cells are found inside a fully-developed organ. The National Institute of Health (2008) clarifies this by stating that an adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ; it can also renew itself, and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The NIH also says that adult stem cells have to maintain and repair the organs or tissue where they are found. Some scientists give adult stem cells a different name, and they call them somatic stem cells (National Institute of Health, 2008).

          According to Cell Medicine (2008), adult stem cells may also be able to repair damaged tissue. There are some stem cells which come from non-controversial sources, like bone marrow, skin, fat, or blood. These are the general characteristics and properties of adult stem cells. The main controversy about stem cells centers on the other type, embryonic stem cells. Many scientists say that embryonic stem cells have much more potential than adult stem cells.