What are stem cells?

Stem Cells

Stem Cells refer to those progenitor cells that are characterized by the ability to renew themselves and have the potential to differentiate into one or more types of cells.

Self renewable

Refers to the ability to duplicate through several cycles of cellular division maintaining his state undifferentiated.

Potentiality

Is the capacity to differentiate into specific tissue cells. They are classified into Unipotent, Multipotent and Totipotent cells. This depends on the number of cell lines that they can differentiate into.

Totipotent

Are the stem cells that could differentiate into all body cell types and are able to form a viable complete organism. An example would be the cells that take place in a fertilized egg.

Pluripotent

Are stem cells that could differentiate into almost any type of a cellular lines.

Multipotent

Are stem cells that could differentiate into more than one type of cellular lines.

Unipotent

Are stem cells that could differentiate into a single type of cellular line.

More about stem cells in N.I.H.
More about stem cells in Wikipedia