What is the difference between cord blood stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and bone marrow stem cells?
Stem cells from the umbilical cord are more flexible than stem cells taken from an adult’s bone marrow. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are the predecessors of adult stem cells, and have the ability to divide into each type of cell, whereas bone marrow stem cells may have a more difficult time dividing. b) Umbilical cord blood stem cells have a greater repopulating potential than bone marrow stem cells. c) Bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell collection are painful and complicated procedures. d) There are also many instances when bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells cannot be used, which would mean finding a donor. e) Embryonic stem cells are cells that are taken from a 0-14 day old embryo. They are the richest form of stem cell but are associated with many ethical, religious, and legal issues.
