Question

Why are embryonic stem cells useful for treating diseases

Answer 1

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells that are derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst before implantation. These cells have potential of treating a wide range of diseases and conditions, which is attributed to the fact that they have; self renewal property meaning that they can ploriferate indefinitely, the cells also have the special ability to differentiate into cells with specialized characteristics and functions. In addition the cells are unspecialized and therefore they can give rise to specialized cells.

Answer 2

The importance of embryonic stem cells lies in their versatility. These cells start off as a "blank slate" and thus can be modified and grown to turn into nearly any type of cell in the body. This means that, beginning with stem cells, one can regenerate whatever specific type of cell is needed to fight a certain disease or replace a damaged organ.