Scientists all over the world are trying to discover more about stem cells to understand how they transform into specialized human body cells. Studying stem cells and their development will help us know the cause of serious health cases like birth defects and cancer.

Stem cells are biological cells formed in embryos that can develop into many different types of cells in the body. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the ability to turn into another type of cell with a more specialized function such as muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are found in early stage embryos, from which all the body’s tissues grow. In adults, stem cells act as a repairing system for the body. For example, when the body loses blood, stem cells start to produce specialized red blood cells.