Stem cells are the basis for every organ and tissue in our bodies.  We continually rely on stem cells to replace and rejuvenate tissues lost every day, such as hair, blood, and skin.  Stem cells hav

Worksheet: The Therapeutic Value of Stem Cells

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Objective: To understand the therapeutic value of stem cells

Stem cells are one of the most amazing types of cells because they can make both (1) ____________________ and (2)________________________________________.

1. We need stem cells in our bodies. What would happen to you if you did not have stem cells?

(Your response should be a paragraph—3-4 sentences—in length.)

Tissue stem cells have the potential to make several types of specialized cells, but not all specialized cells. For example, blood stem cells can make all the different types of cells in your blood, but they cannot make skin cells.

2. Describe the systematic process a multipotent or somatic stem cell would go through in giving rise to multiple components of the nervous system. Use correct cell names and terms in your description. Refer to the diagram in your reading “Stem Cell Facts” from the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) (under Tissue-specific stem cells, page 2).

First:

Read the article from US News and World Report:

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Scientists can now take a cell from anybody’s tissue (for example, a skin cell) and turn it into a cell that behaves like stem cells from an embryo.

4. What are these special types of cells called?

5. Why are Doctor Chazenbalk and other researchers eager to use this technique with a specific type of cell to study heart disease? (Your response should be a paragraph 3-4 sentences long. Include references and in-text citations).