Types of Stem Cells: Power
The power of stem cells refers to the potential they possess certain stem cells to differentiate and to become specific cell types. Stem cells can be obtained from a variety of sources among which include: the embryo (embryonic stem cells), umbilical cord blood and adult bone marrow, which can extract stem cells. Depending on the source from which they derive, stem cells may come to possess certain specific power.
Power of Stem Cells
The main types of power of stem cells which have focused recent research on stem cells include the following:
- Totipotent.
- Pluripotent.
- Multipotent.
These, in turn, can be divided into specific categories, depending on the type of cells in which they will become stem cells. For example, stromal stem cells can differentiate to form bone, cartilage, fat and connective tissue cells. Moreover, hematopoietic stem cells differentiate and form red blood cells and white blood cells and platelets also? although research conducted on stem cells have also shown that this type of stem cells (found in umbilical cord blood) have the potential to become other cell types.
Totipotent stem cells
Totipotent stem cells can be found in the early stages of embryonic development, when they occur the first divisions of a fertilized egg. These stem cells make up really early embryo and have the potential to differentiate into embryonic and extraembryonic cells. Totipotent stem cells have the ability to form new embryos, which will be capable of developing into new bodies.
Pluripotent stem cells
Pluripotent stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into almost the majority of the cells that make up the human body. There are many sources of pluripotent stem cells, but these almost always related to human embryonic stem cells:
- Embryonic stem cell blastocyst stage, embryonic stem cells will form seven days after fertilization when the embryo is in the development phase known as the “blastocyst.”
- Stem cells. Fetal stem cells may be obtained after eight weeks of development, when the embryo is considered a fetus.
Because pluripotent stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into a wide range of human cells are usually considered of great value when they have made stem cell research.
Multipotent stem cells
Multipotent stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into a limited cell type found in the body, and which are closely related. For example, hematopoietic stem cells, which produce different types of blood cells are considered multipotent stem cells.
Multipotent stem cells can be obtained from the following sources:
- Umbilical cord blood.
- Sources of adult cells such as bone marrow or peripheral blood.
Unlike what happens with pluripotent embryonic stem cells, multipotent stem cells do not possess the ability to transform into different cell types. However, these types of stem cells are capable of self, in order to repair specific tissues of the body.