Have the ability to become any type of cell, which is differentiation.
In animal cells the ability to differentiate is lost early.
In plants they never lose their differentiation.
To cure health problems.
Doctors use adult stem cells to treat disease.
Bone marrow of adults contains the stem cells that can turn into new blood cells for sickle cell anaemia.
Scientists can extract stem cells from human embryos and grow them.
These could be used to replace faulty cells in sick people.
You could make nerve cells, muscle cells and whole organs.
Arguments against stem cell research
Human embryos shouldn't be used as each one is a potential life.
Researching on an embryo is no better than destroying it, either way it is denying life.
Stem cell research is banned in some countries, but allowed in the UK.