Stem cells are the smallest units of life that can create any other cell type in the human body. They are found in many forms throughout our tissues and organs. These stem cells’ potential in the medical field is immeasurable, especially with recombinant proteins and the manufacture of cytokines such as the Human SFC. This human stem cell factor from Shenandoah Biotech has proven to be a powerful research material for applying stem cells in life.
There are two general types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. To understand how many stem cells there are in a human body, you need to know what they do and how they work within body processes.
Embryonic Stem Cells
These cells exist only in the earliest phases of embryonic development. They are a type of pluripotent stem cells that can develop into an adult cell type found in the human body. Embryonic stem cells can be extracted from embryos. They are then cultivated to create viable human stem cells that replace diseased or damaged tissue or organs.Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells include bone marrow, fat, muscle, blood tissue, and their derivatives such as granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor. They are found throughout the body but are most abundant in the bone marrow. It takes about ten years for a person to generate adult stem cells. After that, these cells break down several times before they become senescent. Then later, they become fibroblasts or adipocytes.Sources of Stem Cells
Stem cells can be found in the bone marrow, where they're almost always used as a source of blood and immune-system cells. Skin, muscle, blood, and other tissues also contain stem cells used to produce new tissue. Most of these stem cells are "pluripotent" — they can turn into any cell type in the body. Scientists know that when they harvest stem cells from the bone marrow, these stem cells will produce all of the body's tissues again.Adult stem cells are available in most of the body's tissues, including connective, epithelial, endothelial, and mesenchymal. For example, muscle spindle fibroblasts are rich in adult stem cells that are multipotent. They can give rise to muscle, fat, and bone cells. In addition, natural (or endogenous) stem cells reside within the adult body. They have been identified as a potential source for tissue regeneration and repair.
Embryonic stem cells are derived from the earliest stages of human development, during the blastocyst stage. These pluripotent cells can differentiate into any cell in the body. As a result, they can treat many diseases, including heart disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
Importance of Stem Cells
Stem cells are the body's tools for repair and regeneration. No matter how old we get, our bodies constantly regenerate tissue and organs through stem cell division. These cells play a crucial role in maintaining the body's health by creating new healthy cells to replace damaged ones, which minimizes the signs of aging and fights disease.Depending on what type of cell each stem cell turns into and how they are used in a treatment or research study will determine their value for that particular area of medicine. For example, if a patient needs new heart cells, they would most likely be injected with stem cells that can turn into new heart cells, whereas an Alzheimer's patient would be injected with stem cells that can differentiate into brain cells.
Embryonic and adult stem cell therapies show great promise in treating many diseases and injuries. However, it is essential to remember that scientists must do much more preclinical and clinical research before these therapies become widely available to people who need them.
How Many Stem Cells Are There in the Human Body?
So how many stem cells are in the human body? The number of embryonic stem cells present at any one time during development is less than the number of adult stem cells in an adult's body at any one time. So, it is true to say that there are more adult stem cells than embryonic ones. The exact number of each type, however, remains unknown.The most recent estimates indicate that there may be as many as 200 trillion adult stem cells in a healthy human body. The adult body contains several pluripotent and multipotent stem cells, the most common: fibroblasts, blood cells, fat cells, muscle cells, skin cells, brain, and nerve tissue.
