Task and function of stem cells
The task of the stem cells is to build an organism and to keep it healthy and functional for a lifetime. And they are very hardworking while performing this task: Every 3 to 7 days the cells of our small intestine are replaced, those of the gastric mucosa every week, our red blood cells regenerate every 120 days and our bones do the same every 10 years. In addition, stem cells are immediately on the scene for
injuries of diseases to repair the damage.
Differentiation of stem cells
At the start of human life an army of billions of such all-rounders works tirelessly for 9 months to create the wonder of a human being from a couple of cells. Before birth, the stem cells retreat to where they have their headquarters over the entire life of a human being: the ones creating blood go into the bone marrow, and the other ones into the organs. During this migration, the blood of the unborn child is still rich in strong stem cells. After birth and cutting the umbilical cord, a residue of this blood which is rich in stem cells remains in the umbilical cord. Thanks to modern medicine, this valuable gift can be
recovered and preserved without causing any pain or risk to the mother or child.
This means that there is a unique opportunity at birth to guarantee the
health of a child for decades to come, because never again is access provided to so many vital, healthy, body-own stem cells – which are also guaranteed to be available in the event of an emergency.
