2006-06-14 06:16:47 · 4 answers · asked by Maldives 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
Actually adult stem cells are MORE versatile than embryonic ones. At least to date.
Very little has been accomplished w/ embryonic stem cells, while much has been done w/ mature stem cells.
And there are no ethical concerns about mature stem cells.
2006-06-14 06:36:19 · answer #1 · answered by Iridium190 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no, embryonic cells have regenerative properties that our cells don't have. And, harvesting your marrow is a difficult and painful, as well as risky, procedure. But, we don't actually use abortions, like some people think, to get these embryonic cells. They started out as frozen embryos used for fertility. You freeze a bunch, and then implant the number you want. The 'leftovers' are usually destroyed. But, 2 were used to harvest embryonic cells, and then they were just grown from there in a petri dish. Those actual first embryos were decades old. I can't think of a better way to use those embryos.
2006-06-14 06:24:00 · answer #2 · answered by hichefheidi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Mesenchyme, or embryonic stem cells have not differentiated into any specific cell. One embryonic stem cell can become any other kind of cell. It can be bone, it can be smooth muscle it can be nervous tissue. That's why there's much interest in stem cell research and the controversy surrounding it.
2006-06-14 06:40:18 · answer #3 · answered by My name is not Rick 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
Embryonic stem cells are "totipotent" which means they can differentiate into any type of cell in the body.
Bone marrow cells are "multipotent" - they can only become the cells which exist in our blood (red cells, white cells, etc)
2006-06-14 08:08:05 · answer #4 · answered by jml3148 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋