Research Paper on:
Overview of Stem Cells

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
promise of the future in terms of medical possibilities. People are paying to have their infants umbilical cord stored safely in the hopes that it may provide the opportunity for  improved health if problems arise later down the road. In the following paper we examine stem cells. The first portion of the paper discusses what stem cells are, followed by  a portion which discusses differentiation of a stem cell. The last portion of the paper discusses how stem cells can aid in various medical therapies or treatments. Stem  Cells "Stem cells are unspecialized cells that are thought to be able to reproduce themselves indefinitely and, under the right conditions, to develop into mature cells, e.g., nerve, skin, pancreas,  with specialized functions. They are found in embryos at very early stages of development and in some adult organs, e.g., bone marrow and brain" (Northwestern University: Department of Neurobiology and  Physiology, 2002). As mentioned previously there has been a great deal of focus on stem cells in the past few years and this is due to the fact that it  was not until 1998 that "human embryonic stem cells were successfully grown in the laboratory for the first time" (Northwestern University: Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, 2002). Since first success  there has been, as would be imagined, a great deal of research on stem cells. In that research it has been found that these stem cells "differentiate into a few  different types of tissue under controlled laboratory conditions. Isolating adult stem cells is very difficult, and promoting their growth outside of the body is not yet easily accomplished" (Northwestern University:  Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, 2002). In addition, it is very doubtful, at this point, whether research will even prove that adult stem cells are as versatile as the more