Student Article
Miniature Human Heart 3D Printed Using Stem Cells
3D printer (noun): A machine that makes three-dimensional objects.
Stem cells (noun): Special cells that can turn into any type of cell in the body.
Heart muscle (noun): The muscle that makes the heart pump blood.
Disease (noun): Something that makes plants or animals sick.
Did you know scientists can make tiny human hearts with 3D printers?
A big breakthrough in a tiny package
Scientists at the University of Minnesota have made a tiny human heart using a 3D printer. This heart is about 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) long and can pump like a real heart. They used special cells called stem cells to make it.
Making the cells work together
Stem cells can turn into any type of cell in the body. The scientists turned these stem cells into heart muscle cells. Then they used a 3D printer to put the cells together in a heart shape. The heart cells started to beat together, just like a real heart.
Tiny hearts, big impacts
This tiny heart can help scientists study heart disease and find new treatments. They can see how the heart works and test medicines on it. This discovery could help save many lives in the future.
© Jason Goodyer / Our Media
3D printer (noun): A machine that makes three-dimensional objects.
Stem cells (noun): Special cells that can turn into any type of cell in the body.
Heart muscle (noun): The muscle that makes the heart pump blood.
Disease (noun): Something that makes plants or animals sick.