A contentious topic in modern medicine, stem cell research is much debated. Embryonic stem cells and the controversy surrounding them has sparked curiosity in a less risky and more ethical option: using stem cells taken from adults to treat various diseases.

Understanding what the stem cell actually is, serves as a prerequisite to understanding the marvelous impact stem cells can have for modern medicine.

A single cell is the beginning of all life. A human being is an enormously complex organism and grows from just one fertilized egg. Special functions are carried out in each organ by specialized cells that