Stem Cells - Multipotent and Pluripotent

Steam Cells are cells from the human body that have not yet changed into specialised cells, like nerve cells and skin cells. What they can do is change to a variety of different cells that are used in the human body, or every single one of them. Adult Stem Cells are known as Multipotent - this means that they can change into most cells. Embryonic cells, from a developing human child, are Pluripotent, and can turn into any bodily cell.

What does this mean?

This means that embryonic stem cells are worth more to scientists, as they can be modified and changed more than adult stem cells. But the main way to get embryonic stem cells is to take them out of the pre-embryo. Unfortunately, this destroys the embryo.

The Dilemma

The ethical dilemma that scientists are stuck with is whether or not it is right to do this. Some people would argue that the pre-embryo is indeed life, and that destroying it, even with the benefit of obtaining stem cells, is directly killing another human, whilst others may say that at the level of pre-embryo, human life is developing, but has not started directly.

Because of this, scientists will have to find other ways of 'harvesting' stem cells that do not destroy the early forms of human life. This website aims to help you learn about the alternative possibilities that scientists have found, and how they work in practice.