Embryonic stem cell

An embryonic stem cell is a pluripotent cell derived from an early embryo that can self-renew and develop into nearly every cell type in the body.

Pluripotency: The capacity of a cell to generate nearly every cell type in an organism. It describes the developmental range that distinguishes embryonic stem cells.
Blastocyst: An early mammalian embryo consisting of an outer cell layer and an inner cell mass around a fluid-filled cavity. Embryonic stem cells are commonly derived from its inner cell mass.
Regenerative medicine: Medical research and treatment approaches aimed at repairing or replacing damaged cells, tissues, or organs. Embryonic stem cells are studied as potential sources of replacement cells.
Induced pluripotent stem cell: A pluripotent cell created by reprogramming a differentiated cell into an embryonic-like state. It can provide pluripotent cells without deriving them from embryos.
Bioethics: The study of ethical questions arising in biology, medicine, and health research. Embryonic stem-cell research raises disputes about moral status, consent, and acceptable research.
Self-renewal: The ability of a cell to divide while maintaining its defining properties. It allows embryonic stem cell populations to persist through repeated cell divisions.
Inner cell mass: The group of cells inside a blastocyst that gives rise to the embryo proper and some associated tissues. This cell population is the usual source of embryonic stem-cell lines.
Organoid: A three-dimensional, self-organizing cell culture that models selected features of an organ. Embryonic stem cells can be directed to form organoids for studying development and disease.
Adult stem cell: A stem cell found in developed tissues that maintains or repairs a more limited range of cell types. Adult stem cells usually have narrower developmental potential than embryonic stem cells.
Embryo: An organism in an early stage of development before birth or hatching. The source material makes the moral status of the early human embryo central to debate.

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