Stem Cells possess bizarre property property of "Auxeticity", never seen before at cellular level
As per a study by the scientists from University of Cambridge, Human stem cells show a bizarre property “Auxeticity” that was never before viewed at the cellular level. Auxeticity has never been seen before at a cellular level.
[icon name=”icon-question-sign”]What is Auxeticity?
Nearly all materials compress when they are elongated, e.g. an elastic band gets thinner when elongated. Now, the reverse is also true i.e. compressing a material expands it e.g., if we compress a tennis ball, the circumference of the ball gets bigger.
Now, “Auxeticity” has the opposite effect: “Compress a material and it will contract, stretch the material and it will expand”. Therefore, Auxetic materials act as fantabulous shock absorbers or sponges, a concept that is being researched for several purposes.
[icon name=”icon-question-sign”]What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are a class of uniform cells that are capable to separate into specialized cell types. These are “master cells” that have the ability to become nearly any of the 200 or so various cells in the body. Embryonic stem cells are derived from early stage embryos and regarded as the “gold standard” for research on stem cells. Generally, stem cells come from 2 key sources:
- Embryos shaped during the blastocyst phase of embryological development (embryonic stem cells)
- Adult tissue (Adult or somatic stem cells)
Both types are in general qualified by their potency/ potential to separate into diverse cell types (viz. bone, muscle, skin, etc.).
Related Posts
Month: Current Affairs - April, 2014
Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs