STEM CELLS

Stem Cell – Definition

• A cell that has the ability to continuously

divide and differentiate (develop) into
various other kind(s) of cells/tissues

12/8/2021 Dr. Hariom Yadav

 What are stem cells?
• the body is made up of about 200 different kinds of
specialised cells such as muscle cells, nerve cells, fat
cells and skin cells
• all cells in the body come from stem cells
• a stem cell is a cell that is not yet specialised
• the process of specialisation is called differentiation
• once the differentiation pathway of a stem cell has
been decided, it can no longer become another type
of cell on its own
 Stem Cell History

• 1963: James Edgar Till and Ernest McCulloch discovered

the hematopoietic stem cells in mouse bone marrow.
• 1978: Stem cells were discovered in human cord blood
• 1981: First in vitro stem cell line developed from mice
• 1988: Embryonic stem cell lines created from a hamster
• 1995: First embryonic stem cell line derived from a primate
• 1997: Cloned lamb(dolly) from adult somatic stem cells
• 1997: Leukaemia origin found as haematopoietic stem cell,
indicating possible proof of cancer stem cells
 EMBRYONIC STEM CELL
• Embryonic stem (ES) cells are the cells of the inner
cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage embryo.
•  Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5
days post fertilization, at which time they consist
of 50–150 cells.
• ES cells are pluripotent and give rise during
development to all derivatives of the three
primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and
mesoderm. 
 Stages of Embryogenesis

Day 2
2-cell embryo
Day 3-4
Day 1 Multi-cell embryo
Fertilized egg

Day 5-6
Day 11-14 Blastocyst
Tissue Differentiation
12/8/2021 Dr. Hariom Yadav
 Adult Stem Cells
undifferentiated cells found among specialised or
differentiated cells in a tissue or organ after birth.

Types of Adult
stem cells

Hematopoietic Mesenchymal Epithelial stem

Neural stem cells stem cells
stem cells cells

bone, cartilage,
blood and neurons, glial
fat, muscle, skin, linings
immune system cells
tendon/ligament
 Adult stem cells

12/8/2021 Dr. Hariom Yadav

 FETAL STEM CELL
• The primitive stem cells located in the organs
of fetuses. 
• There are two types of fetal stem cells:
Fetal proper stem cells Extraembryonic fetal stem
cells
come from the tissue of the come from extraembryonic
fetus proper membranes, not
distinguished from adult
stem cells
obtained after an abortion stem cells are acquired
after birth
stem cells are not immortal they are not immortal
but have a high level of but have a high level of cell
division and are multipotent. division, and are pluripotent
 Properties of stem cell
• Totipotent
• toti = total potent = capacity
• The state of the cells after the first few divisions of the fertilised egg.
• Have the capacity to become all cell types plus placenta.
• Pluripotent
• pluri = many potent = capacity
• At blastocyst stage cells become pluripotent.
• Have the capacity to become all cell types but not placenta.
• Cells of most interest to research scientists.
• Multipotent
• Can develop into cells that are closely related. Limited number of several cell
types.
• Make all cell types from the tissue they come from. Found in many parts of the
body.
• Can self-renew over a lifetime.
Oligopotent
• Can differentiate into only a few cells, such as lymphoid or myeloid stem
cells.
Unipotent
• Can produce only one cell type of their own, property of self renewal.