1. Stem Cell
By Lalit Mahajan

2. Definition
• A cell that has the ability to continuously
divide and differentiate (develop) into
various other kinds of cells/tissues.
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3. Introduction
• “Células madre” is a Spanish word for stem
cell.
• Stem cells are “mother” cells that give rise to
all other cells in the body.
• They are cells found in all multicellular
organisms that can undergo mitosis to give
rise to specialized cells, or more stem cells.
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4. Special Characteristics of all
Stem Cells
• Self-renewal (proliferation)- the ability of a stem
cell to clone itself indefinitely by cell division.
• Asymmetric cell division.
• Relocation and Differentiation are abilities of
stem cells to “migrate” to where they’re needed
in the body and specialize into a particular type
of mature cell.
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5. Cell division of stem cell
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6. Kinds of Stem Cells
Stem cell
type Description Examples
Cells from early
Each cell can develop
Totipotent (1-3 days)
into a new individual
embryos
Some cells of
Cells can form any
Pluripotent blastocyst (5 to
(over 200) cell types
14 days)
Cells differentiated, Fetal tissue, cord
Multipotent but can form a number blood, and adult
of other tissues stem cells
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7. Types of stem cell
• Embryonic stem cells
• Somatic/ adult stem cells
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9. Embryonic stem cells
• come from embryos
• This stage embryo is called a Blastocyst.
(4-5 days old embryo)
• can self-renew forever.
• are pluripotent – they can differentiate to
become almost every cell in the body.
• Can be used for treatments for Paralysis,
Diabetes, Alzheimer’s.
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10. Generates every cell in the body
including the placenta and extra-
Can form the entire embryonic tissues
human being
Can generate every cell in the
Cannot form the entire
body except placenta and extra-
human being
embryonic tissues
Become specific
cell types are less
flexible than above
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11. Somatic/ adult stem cells
• found in adult tissue.
• can self-renew many times.
• are multipotent – they can differentiate to
become only the types of cells in the tissue
they come from.
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13. Potential uses of stem cells
• Replacing damaged tissue
• Studying human development
• Testing new drugs
• Screening toxins
• Testing gene therapy methods
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14. Thank you
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