(the difference between adult and embryonic stem cells)

When the sperm fertilises the egg the first creation is a stem cell.  It then divides into more stem cells which continue to divide until they begin to differentiate (or change), becoming specific types of cells that will go on to form all of the different parts of the body.  

Adult stem cells are not embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are pre-birth and are the focus of much media attention. All stem cells in our bodies after birth are defined as adult stem cells therefore children also have adult stem cells. 

The use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is not as controversial as embryonic stem cells, because the production of adult stem cells does not require the destruction of an embryo. Additionally, because adult stem cells can be obtained from the intended recipient, (i.e. an autograft, stem cell enhancers and recipient transplants) the risk of rejection is essentially non-existent in these situations. Consequently, more US government funding is being provided for adult stem cell research. 

Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found throughout the body after embryonic development, that multiply by cell division to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues. They are also known as somatic stem cells (from Greek Σωματικóς, meaning of the body). 

Scientific interest in adult stem cells has centered on their ability to divide or self-renew indefinitely, and generate all the cell types of the organ from which they originate, potentially regenerating the entire organ from a few cells. 

Given their unique regenerative abilities, stem cells offer new potential for maintaining good health, keeping ageing at bay, and treating many diseases such as parkinson’s disease, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, alzheimer’s disease, muscular dystrophy and degeneration, arthritis, arthrosis, epilepsy, erectile dysfunction, lou gehrig’s disease, liver disease, neuropathy and much more.