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//What Are the Unique Properties of Stem Cells? //

//So you ask yourself what is a stem cell? What's so different about it than the other cells in our body?// //Well they are very different compared to the other cells that are in our body. This is because of three basic general// //properties, **__Capable of dividing and renewing for a long period of time, they are unspecialzied, and they can give rise to specialized cell types.__** So again you ask yourself what all does that even mean? And how does it benefit us? Lets break it down to understand the way they work.////To start you must get to know a little more about what a stem cell is to understand the way it works, if you didn't already know a stem cell is a biological cell found in a multicellular organism that can divide throught the process of mitosis. Stem cells have many features about them giving us hope for the future. Cells are capable of performing many functions ,bringing us to understand the basic property's of a stem cell.// //**__Dividing and Renewing: __**// // Stem cells have so many amazing features about them that researcher's are still studying today. One of the three basic general properties is that stem cells are capable of dividing and renewing for a long period of time. Stem cells have remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types. When stem cells divide each new cell has potential either to remain a stem cell or to become another type with more specialization in early life and growth throughout the body. Stem cells have the ability to **__proliferate (__** //Expansion of the number of cells by the continuous division of single cells into two identical daughter cells.) When being studied in the labatory stem cells can proliferate for several months creating millions of cells. Profilation plays a big role with the cell division, they are regulated during normal embryonic development or during the abnormal cell division that leads to cancer this information can enable scientist to grow embryonic and non - embryonic stem cells more efficiently. Embryonic stem cells are having many scientist working extra hard on research, Embryonic stem cells may help doctors to treat ills from paralysis to diabetes. Its an amazing thing how these cells can work. So why is it that the embryonic stem cells work a little more better than the adult stem cells? Embryonic stem cells are more flexible than the adult stem cells. Adult stem cells are able to transform into different cells of the body but embryonic stem cells can change into almost every cell of the body, they have an advantage to differentiate more readily than the adult stem cell. **__// Unspecialzed //__** // The second basic general properites is being unspecialized, meaning that the cell does not have tissue specific structures to allow it to perform specilized functions. Unspecialized stem cells are able to give rise to other specialiezed cells this process is know as **__difirentation.__** While differentiating, the cell usually goes through several stages, becoming more specialized at each step. Scientists are just beginning to understand the signals inside and outside cells that trigger each stem of the differentiation process. There are internal // //__signals__// // that are controlled by a cell's __genes__ ////, (which are interspersed across long strands of DNA, and carry coded instructions for all cellular structures and functions). There are also external signals for cell differentiation including chemicals secreted by other cells, physical contact with neighboring cells, and certain molecules in the __microenviroment__ ////. The interaction of signals during differentiation causes the cell's DNA to acquire // //__epigentic__// // marks that restrict DNA expression in the cell and can be passed on through cell division. So they have there option of being specialized or unspecialized. being able to become any cell in the body is a huge advantage for this generation, this could be a big outbreak for curing many ills or even putting back together body parts that have been taken away. // Interesting Facts: Stem cells could launch a new era of regenerative medication that may be able to cure deadly diseases with custom made tissues and organs. This is a great look to the future, depending if you are for or against stem cell research. //People have there different opinions on how this could work, there either for or against it. Research has shown the amazing properties of these amazing cells that can do almost anything for us humans. Many things are still being questioned but soon the answers will be available for anyone interested in learning more about this process.//

// As you have learned stem cells are very different from the other cells in our body they are capable of doing many things that other cells couldn't possibly do. Stem cells could be a new begging for us, due to all the research we are finding out new and improved ways of using them like curing cancer , growing new body parts that have been removed.They are very important pieces to new information that more people should be paying attention to. By reading this i hope you have learned a lot that you may never known before. If you are more interested here are some websites for research: // // Work cited. // __"What are the unique properties of all stem cells? [Stem Cell Information]."//NIH Stem Cell Information Home Page//. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics2__ __http://hpronline.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/stem_cell1.jpg__ __http://www.russia-ic.com/image/?cat=education_science&name=1425.jpg__ __http://www.grin.com/object/external_document.253710/bcb642173321a2749b45822f4379411d_LARGE.png__