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STEM CELLS

Cells which are present in most multi cellular organisms, and have the characteristic ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division which further differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types are called as stem cells.

 

Introduction:

It has been clearly foretold by scientists that at some point in the future stem cells may become the basis for treating diseases like diabetes, heart diseases and Parkinson’s diseases. Besides stem cells are used for screening new drugs and toxins and in cell based therapies and also and for understanding birth defects. The fundamental properties of stem cells which make them very significant in curing diseases and thereby paving way for further research are:

1. Stem cells remain unspecialized and they are self renewing for years together.

2. The signals that are identified which cause the stem cells to become specialized cells.

Table Of Contents

 

Based on their functions and characteristics stem cells are mainly classified into two types. They are:

Characteristics of stem cells:

There are two main characteristics of stem cells which differ them from other cells:
 

1. self-renewal: the aptitude of the stem cells to go through many cycles of cell division while maintaining the undifferentiated state.

2. Potency: the ability to make different cells into specialized cell types.

Totpotency: it is the ability of a single cell to divide and produce all the differentiated cells in an organism.
 Pluripotent: process to be able to give rise to any mature cell type.
 Unipotent: cell that has the capability to develop differentiate into only one type of tissue /cell type.

 

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