Which are sources of adult stem cells? Check all that apply. bone marrow amniotic fluid brain gametes liver embryo
Answered on
Correct answer is bone marrow.
The two broad types of stem cells found in people are adult stems cells and embryonic stem cells.
Adult stem cells
- Cord blood, umbilical cord blood
- Bone marrow
- Blood, peripheral blood stem cells
- Menstrual blood
- Skin
- Teeth
- Placental tissue
All of these sources of adult stem cells share some characteristics. Others are unique and options are being researched daily.
Embryonic stem cells
- Human embryos
- Fetal tissue
Today, the most common medical treatment using stem cells are transplants to patients with serious diseases of the blood, such as Leukemia or Lymphoma. These diseases can progress rapidly. If the patient's physician believes a transplant offers the best chance of recovery for the patient, it can literally be a race against time to find a donor match.
A transplant patient needs stem cells that match their own tissue type as closely as possible. This is called an HLA match. Stem cells from a relative are always the best source for a match. The better the match, the less likely the patient will experience some of the most serious side effects associated with transplants.
Another source for collecting stems cells comes from umbilical cord blood. This is the blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta of a newborn baby. These healthy blood-forming cells can be collected immediately after childbirth and stored at a cord blood bank. If the parents elect private cord blood banking, the umbilical cord blood is sent to the cord blood bank via a medical courier for processing and storage. A sample of the cord blood specimen is then readily available to a transplant surgeon.
When stem cells for a patient are not available from their family's specimen stored at a private cord blood bank, a search is done to find a match using a public source.