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~Stem Cells~
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:: How it works- Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer ::
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"We are not static beings. Our tissues turn over constantly and there must be cells that remember the form" [of the original organ].
--James L. Sherley, Assoc. Professor of Biological Engineering in MIT's Center for Environmental Health Science and Center for Cancer Research
Stem cells are the undifferentiated building blocks of all the cells in your body.
Stem cells are able to:
(1) replicate themselves and
(2) give rise to one or more differentiated cell types, termed "pluripotent" for many cell types and "totipotent" for all types.
Embryonic stem cells, which are found in the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, are the most promising types because of their totipotency. In contrast, since adult stem cells are found in a tissue or organ, they can only differentiate to become the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ.
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