Embryonic stem cells
Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem cells (pronunciation: em-bree-on-ik stem sels) are a type of stem cell that are derived from the embryo of an organism. These cells are pluripotent, meaning they have the ability to differentiate into any cell type in the body.
Etymology
The term "embryonic stem cells" is derived from the word "embryo", which comes from the Greek word "ἔμβρυον" (embruon), meaning "young one", and the word "stem", which is derived from the Old English word "stefn", meaning "stock, stem, trunk, lineage". The term "cell" comes from the Latin word "cella", meaning "small room".
Definition
Embryonic stem cells are unique cells that can develop into nearly any type of cell in the body. During the early stages of embryogenesis, the embryo forms a structure known as the blastocyst, which contains a group of cells called the inner cell mass. These cells are the embryonic stem cells, and they have the potential to differentiate into any of the more than 200 cell types in the body.
Related Terms
- Pluripotent: The ability of a stem cell to differentiate into any cell type in the body.
- Blastocyst: A structure formed in the early development of mammals, which contains the inner cell mass from which embryonic stem cells are derived.
- Differentiation: The process by which a cell changes from one cell type to another.
- Stem cell therapy: The use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition.
- Induced pluripotent stem cells: A type of pluripotent stem cell that can be generated directly from adult cells.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Embryonic stem cells
- Wikipedia's article - Embryonic stem cells
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