What are stem cells and why are they important? Stem cells are “an undifferentiated cell of a multicellular organism which is capable of giving rise to indefinitely more cells of the same type, and from which certain other kinds of cells arise by differentiation” (Novagenesis Foundation). Basically it is a blank cell that has the potential to become any specialized cell in the body you multiply itself indefinitely. Given their unique properties stem cells are valuable and can be extraordinarily beneficial to society if research continues. As a species, humans are superfluously more advanced in multiple ways to every other being on earth; however, there are certain properties that homosapians do not posses that other life forms do; for example, some mammals are able to go weeks without food or water and some lizards have evolved to the point where they are are able to regenerate entire limbs. Stem cells offer humans the opportunity to ameliorate flaws in their genetic make up and therefore should be funded for research. Stem cells are often separated into groups based on how potent they are but when it comes down to it there are really only two types of stem cells, embryonic, and adult. Embryonic stem cells are cells that are derived from an embryo when it is still only a few days old. They are taken from the innermost layer of the blastocyst which if left undisturbed would differentiate to become all the structures of an adult organism. Because they have only just started differentiating they are able to transform into virtually any cell in the human body thus making them an important addition to the world of medicine. These young cells are classified as totipotent, the longer the cell lives the less potent it will become limiting the cells ability until it can only differentiate into a specific specialized cell. Embryonic stem cells differentiate by clumping together to form embryoid bodies,then each individual cell duplicates and begins to differentiate rapidly “embryonic stem cells possess the capacity to divide for long periods and retain their ability to make all cell types within the organism” (Dr. Ananya Mandal).Embryonic stem cell research, though seemingly harmless, posses a sort of moral dilemma in which there are two sides. On one hand there is the obligation to help those suffering but on the other one must respect the value of human life. Yes embryonic stem cells come from embryos but they are not taken from the fertilized eggs in a woman's body.”Most embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro-in an in vitro fertilization clinic-and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors” (Neo Stem ). The other type of stem cell is an known as an adult stem cell. An adult stem cell, sometimes called somatic stem cells from the Greek word meaning body, is an undifferentiated cell among specialized cells in a tissue or organ that can renew itself. They can be found in juvenile as well as adult animals and human bodies.The primary function of adult stem cells is to regenerate or repair old or damaged cells from the tissue in which they are found; for example, if the skin is cut it will heal by having a new layer skin grow over the damaged skin this healing process is the adult stem cells at work. Adult stem cells can divide or self renew indefinitely enabling them to generate a range of cell types from the originating organ or even regenerate the entire original organ. Unlike embryonic stem cells the origin of adult stem cells is unknown. It is widely believed that adult tissue