Humans are on a constant quest in the search for perfection and advancement in all areas of life through progressive scientific knowledge. From such a stance, the future of humans appears boundless with all the potential possibilities biotechnology provides, but such developments will cause ethical, social and biological implications.
Biotechnology, at its simplest is technology based on biology – it employs the use of cellular and bimolecular processes to develop products and technologies. The variety of living cells used for their biochemical talents range from simple singled-cells bacteria and yeast to complex multi-cellular organisms, such as plants and humans. Over the years, biotechnology has been a rapidly developing area of
Stem cells are the cells in human bodies that have the potential to become any cell in our body. Unlike others cells, they can continue to divide by making more stem cells or change by adopting particular traits that enables them to carry out other functions. They exist in all areas of organs and tissues in our body although their numbers are significantly lower than differentiated cells. Stem cells are broadly categorised into three groups: adult, embryonic. Adult stem cells are derived from organs in the body and cells from a baby’s placenta, amniotic acid and umbilical cords. They develop into specific cells that reflect the need of the organs in which they reside. However it has been believed that adult stem cells can be influenced to become other types of cells. Embryonic cells are found in the inner mass of early embryo and then extracted and grown on cultural dishes. The human embryonic cells differ from adult cells in that they continuously divide in culture and can start to differentiate. Thus embryonic cells hold huge potential in producing large numbers of normal human cells such as cardiac cells and neurons.
The nature of stem cells allows for medical advances in fields such as therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicine. It holds potential for inventing future cures and treatments for a plethora of diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, cancer and many others. Stem cell research also