BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Taking the Pee
29 June 2015

Taking the Pee

Although we usually just flush it down the toilet, your urine could be a handy source of useful stem cells. Human urine stem cells can be purified away from the rest of the waste in wee and grown in the lab. By giving them certain molecules to settle on, they can be persuaded to take on all kinds of fates, including becoming bone, cartilage or even fat cells. These four panels follow these stem cells growing over five days on a special biological scaffold that encourages them to knit together to make bone. The resulting material can even be used to repair broken bones in rats. Although there are only a few stem cells in each beaker of urine, they can turn into millions in just a few weeks, providing a cheap source of cells to repair damaged bones – something to ponder next time you spend a penny, perhaps?

Written by Kat Arney

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.