Some Stem Cell Science

Imagine you're a stem cell. As cells go, you're not very sexy. Your cellular chums even call you "generic." You don't secrete hormones, form protective layers, digest food, or otherwise perform an immediately productive role in the body. But that doesn't mean you're a freeloader.

Like little factories, you and the rest of the stem cell clan produce all of the 220 types of cells that do the jobs that keep people alive. Without stem cells like you, embryos couldn't develop, and adults, unable to replenish blood and tissue, would soon die. Not bad for a generic little cell.

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