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Stem cell
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Stem cells are cells that have not yet specialized: they do not perform a specific job, but they can turn into many different types of cells, such as muscle, blood, or brain cells. They serve as a repair system for the body.
They are like fresh clay, which can still become a plate, a cup, or a pitcher. Stem cells also divide and renew themselves over long periods. Each time one divides, two daughter cells are produced, and each of them can remain a stem cell or take a step toward becoming a more differentiated, that is, more specialized, cell.
Not all of them can go equally far. Pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic ones, can give rise to any cell in the adult body. Adult stem cells live within a tissue or organ and can give rise to the specialized cell types of that tissue.
In brief
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can become many cell types, such as muscle, blood, or brain cells, and serve as the body's repair system.
They divide and self-renew long-term, and each of their two daughter cells can remain a stem cell or become more differentiated.
Not all go equally far: pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic ones, can give rise to every cell in the adult body; adult stem cells can give rise to the specialized cell types of their own tissue or organ.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineStem Cells, MedlinePlusPublished
- National Institutes of HealthStem Cell Basics, NIH Stem Cell Information
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated