Undifferentiated

Undifferentiated refers to cells or tissues that have not yet attained a mature or specialized function. This term is often used in the context of stem cells, cancer, and developmental biology.

Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the potential to differentiate into various types of cells in the body. They are characterized by their ability to self-renew and to give rise to differentiated cells. There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage preimplantation embryo. They are pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into all cell types of the body.

Adult Stem Cells

Adult stem cells, also known as somatic stem cells, are found in various tissues in the body and are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate into a limited number of cell types related to the tissue in which they reside.

Cancer

In cancer, undifferentiated refers to cells that have lost the specialized characteristics of the cell type from which they originated. These cells often have a high proliferative capacity and are associated with a more aggressive disease course.

Developmental Biology

In developmental biology, undifferentiated refers to cells in an embryo or young organism that have not yet begun to differentiate into specialized cell types.

See Also

• Cell differentiation
• Stem cell therapy
• Cancer biology
• Developmental biology

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