Cells, Mouse (Embryonic)

STEM CELLS ARE a special variety of cells that have been identified in some multicellular organisms. Most of the cells in the body transform into and reproduce only the parent cell type; stem cells, in contrast, have the capacity to transform into multiple cell types throughout their life spans. We also know that stem cells are of two types—adult and embryonic. As the name indicates, adult stem cells are found in adults and serve to replenish cells in certain parts of the body where they are lost because of a continuous turnover for a variety of reasons.

Examples of such tissues include skin, bone marrow, and the lining of gastrointestinal tract, and so [Page 82]forth. Embryonic stem cells, in contrast, are found in the body at ...