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Stem cells are used for following purposes:

• In regenerative therapy stem cells are used.
• In case of diseased conditions like diabetes, myocardial infarction, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc., stem cells can be used to replace the damaged or functionless cells.
• In conditions such as anaemia, thalassaemia, leukaemia, etc. there is always the need of newer blood cells. Here, stem cells can be used to restore the number of blood cells.
• In techniques of organ transplantation stem cells can be used and they can help in the transplantation of new organs such as kidney and liver The defective organs can be replaced by those that are produced with the help of stem cells and transplanted.

Crops having desired characters are developed by integrating foreign gene with their genome, such crops have modified genome and are known as genetically modified crops.

Various step-wise processes are done while performing the-tissue culture. These processes are primary treatment, reproduction/cell division/multiplication, shooting or rooting, primary hardening, secondary hardening, etc.

(i) The figure shows the ‘regenerative therapy’ using stem cells. Also called stem cell therapy.

(ii) With the help of above therapy organs like liver, kidney from stem cells can be redeveloped to replace the failed ones.

i. High-class varieties of crops have been developed through the technique of tissue-culture.

ii. Earlier, insulin was being collected from the- pancreas of horses.

iii. Phenylketonuria (PKT) arises due to genetic changes in hepatocytes.

iv. The Pseudomonas bacteria are useful for cleaning the hydrocarbon and oil pollutants from soil and water.

v. Various essential elements like N, P, K become available to crops due to earthworms and fungi.

vi. We have a great tradition of ayurveda that cures the diseases with the help of natural resources.

Some types of transgenic potatotes that contain edible vaccine against Hepatitis can be cooked. The cooking does not destroy the antigen incorporated into these transgenic potatoes. But according to some scientists, transgenic potatoes with enterotoxin vaccine, if cooked shows denaturation of vaccine.

I. Fruiting trees: Banana, Chikoo (Sapota), Tomato, Fig, Pineapple.

II. Flowering trees: Orchids, Roses, Chrysanthemum, Gerbera, Begonia, Carnation, Lili. Benefits of such plants may be varied. Mostly fruits developed are made seedless and tastier.

III. Benefits of plants produced through technique of tissue culture:

• Techniques of tissue culture can produce more copies of same plant with better characters. ’ The plant grower likes to have bigger and more fruits from fruit trees. On the flowering trees, colourful flowers with good fragrance are favoured.
• Plants which do not depend on particular climate and local seasonal changes are produced by tissue culture methods. This helps to rise the yield in an area which otherwise may not produce a specific crop.
• For tissue culture, saplings and seedlings are made available throughout the year through laboratory. The limitations of getting natural seeds are not there thus planting can be done throughout the year.
• Tissue culture techniques create the plants of uniform size, shape and yield. Since they are exactly alike, it becomes beneficial.
• In lesser time period, the crops reach maturity.
• The crops are pest and disease resistant.
• Tissue culture techniques are cost effective and easy to carry out.

The grafting as done in case of plants, cannot be done in human beings. But the transplantation of certain organs can be done. Liver, kidney, heart, eyes, etc. can be transplanted. But for these transplantations the donor and the recipient should match with each other in respect of their blood groups, age, disease condition, etc. In future, the stem cell research can bring about certain changes in the field of transplantations.