stem cell

Introduction
Embryonic stem cells
- Mouse embryonic stem cells
- Human embryonic stem cells
- Embryonic germ cells
Adult stem cells
- Epithelial stem cells
- Bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells
- Neural stem cells
Somatic cell nuclear transfer
Induced pluripotent stem cells

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Diagram showing the locations of neural stem cells in brain regions such as the hippocampus and ventricles, and hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow and blood, with labeled illustrations of the brain, spinal cord, circulatory system, and skeleton.

The differentiation of embryonic stem cells

Diagram illustrating the process of bone marrow transplantation, showing how stem cells are collected from a donor's blood or bone marrow, separated and selected, cryopreserved, thawed, diluted, and then infused into a patient who has undergone chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

This diagram illustrates the cloning process of Dolly the sheep in 1996, showing how a nucleus from an adult Finn Dorset ewe was fused with an enucleated egg cell from a Scottish Blackface ewe, then implanted into a surrogate to produce Dolly.

A less painful root canal procedure explained

Learn about medical tourism and clinical trials of stem cell treatment and the risk associated with it

At a Glance

stem cell summary

Related Questions

How are adult stem cells also called tissue stem cells?
How are embryonic stem cells different from adult stem cells?
How are neural stem cells being studied for Parkinson disease and spinal cord injuries?
How are scientists studying neural stem cells for stroke recovery?
How can a patient’s own bone marrow be used in a transplant?
How can epigenetic changes influence cell differentiation?
How can induced pluripotent stem cells help researchers test potential new drugs?
How can patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells help scientists study genetic diseases?
How can stem cells produce both new stem cells and specialized cells?
How could embryonic stem cells provide dopamine-producing neurons for Parkinson disease research?
How do adult stem cells replace worn-out or damaged cells?
How do bone marrow stem cells make new blood cells?
How do embryonic stem cells help form tissues and organs during development?
How do endogenous and exogenous stem cell therapies differ in stroke research?
How do growth factors and hormones influence cell differentiation?
How do growth factors influence the cells produced by hematopoietic stem cells?
How do induced pluripotent stem cells differ from embryonic stem cells?
How do induced pluripotent stem cells reduce some ethical concerns about embryonic stem cells?
How do intestinal stem cells maintain the lining of the intestines?
How do neural stem cells contribute to the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus?
How do neural stem cells form neurons and glial cells?
How do signals from neighboring cells affect which genes a stem cell expresses?
How do skin stem cells help replace the outer layers of skin?
How do stem-cell-grown organoids help scientists study human organs and diseases?
How do stem cells progress through stem cell, progenitor cell, and terminally differentiated stages?
How do stem cells support growth, repair, and renewal in the human body?
How do the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm form different tissues during embryonic development?
How do transcription factors guide a cell toward a specialized function?
How does a bone marrow transplant help people receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy?
How does asymmetric cell division maintain a population of stem cells?
How have induced pluripotent stem cells been used to model spinal muscular atrophy?
What challenges must be solved before embryonic stem cell-derived neurons can be transplanted safely?
What ethical concerns involve consent from tissue donors for stem cell research?
Where in the adult human brain were neural stem cells first discovered?
Which blood and immune cells can arise from hematopoietic stem cells?
Which body tissues rely on stem cells for continual renewal?
Which specialized cell types can develop from stem cells?
Which tissues and organs develop from the endoderm?
Which tissues and organs develop from the mesoderm?
Why are unproven stem cell treatments a concern for patients and regulators?
Why can retroviruses used in stem cell reprogramming create safety concerns?
Why do researchers need to control the migration and differentiation of transplanted neural stem cells?
What is the primary function of osteocytes?
What role do osteocytes play in response to mechanical stress?
What can result from damage or dysfunction of osteocytes?
What is the primary function of a neuron?
What are the main parts of a typical neuron?
How do neurons communicate with each other?
What role do nerves play in the body?
What is a plant cell?
What is the function of the cell wall in plant cells?
What are the three primary types of plant cells?

Science Biology Cells, Organs & Tissues

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External Websites

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Ethics of Stem Cell Research
Mayo Clinic - Stem cells: What they are and what they do
University of Nebraska Medical Center - Stem Cells - What are Stem Cells?
Cleveland Clinic - Stem Cells
Pew Research Center - The Science Behind Stem Cell Research
Library of Congress - Science Reference Services - What are Stem Cells?
Open Library Publishing Platform - Selected Topics in Health and Disease - Overview of Stem Cells and Their Potential as a Therapeutic
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Stem cells: a comprehensive review of origins and emerging clinical roles in medical practice
Healthline - Stem Cell Research
Learn.Genetics - Genetic Science Learning Center - Stem Cells

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

stem cell - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
stem cell - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

stem cell

biology

Written by

Jonathan M.W. Slack

Director of Stem Cell Institute at the University of Minnesota. Author of From Egg to Embryo.

Jonathan M.W. Slack

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 26, 2026 •History

stem cell, an undifferentiated cell that can divide to produce some offspring cells that continue as stem cells and some cells that are destined to differentiate (become specialized). Stem cells are an ongoing source of the differentiated cells that make up the tissues and organs of animals and plants. There is great interest in stem cells because they have potential in the development of therapies for replacing defective or damaged cells resulting from a variety...

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