What is a Stem Cell? The National Institutes of Health defines a stem cell in this way: “Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.” The First Creation of Life When the sperm fertilizes 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. These are the embryonic stem cells that are the focus of the media’s attention. But after birth, and throughout life, stem cells continue to be made in the body. And as science has recently discovered, these adult stem cells are the body’s primary system of renewal and restoration. Early Stem Cell Adult Stem Cells Adult stem cells are predominantly formed in the bone marrow. And, just as in the beginnings of life, adult stem cells can literally change into any type of cell in the body throughout life. These adult stem cells are released from the bone marrow into the circulation of the bloodstream to seek out problem areas, then renew and restore those areas. Example: The Heart When circulating stem cells find the heart in reduced health, they exit the Adult Stem Cells in Bone Marrow bloodstream, attach to the heart and actually become brand new heart muscle cells, analogous to the original cells that created the infant’s heart. They then begin dividing into still more new heart muscle cells. The same with the liver, the kidneys, the brain, the skin, eyes, any organ, tissue, muscle, bone, connective tissue, literally any part of the body that is in need of restoration