Stem Cells

• Stem Cells


  Undifferentiated cells that specialise into other cells

  • Can continually divide, which could lead to cancer
• Totipotent Stem Cells


  Can differentiate into any cell

  • Limited to being in the embryo
• Pluripotent Stem Cells


  Can differentiate into almost any cell

  • Found in embryos and bone marrow, which can cause less rejection
  • Used to treat human disorders
• Multipotent / Unipotent Stem Cells


  Limited differentiation of cell types

  • Found in mature mammals
  • Usually specialise into cardiomyocytes
• Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells


  Produced from adult somatic cells, to avoid ethical issues of embryonic stem cells

  • Transcriptional factors cause dedifferentiation of cell, making it unspecialised