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embryonic stem cell

biology
Also known as: ES cell, ESC

Quick Summary

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are undifferentiated cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early-stage mammalian embryo, specifically a blastocyst. These cells are crucial because they possess the remarkable ability to both self-renew and differentiate into a wide variety of specialized cell types, such as muscle, nerve, blood, and skin cells. This characteristic, known as pluripotency, makes them fundamental for growth, repair, and renewal in living organisms.1234

While ES cells have significant potential in regenerative medicine and disease research, their use raises ethical considerations due to the destruction of embryos required for their derivation. The development of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, created by reprogramming adult cells, offers an alternative that bypasses many of these ethical concerns.21

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