First, before I start, I
want to direct you to Euro Stem Cell's wonderful
resource on all things stem cell. Their site goes into a lot more detail about the different stem cell types and the specific therapeutic applications of stem cells, but still
in very understandable terms. If there
are specific therapeutic potentials or stem cell types you're interested in, this
is a great place to look them up. (That said, I'm also happy to take topic
requests, so if you have any specific questions, please leave them in the
comments and I'll do my best to answer them!)
Today's topic of stem
cell discussion is how we specifically define and identify stem cells. As
I've already
discussed, stem cells are vaguely defined as the cells which give root to
all other cells, including themselves. This is a useful starting definition,
but unfortunately the cells in the body aren't quite that clear cut. This is
because cells specialize gradually, and it can be hard to tell them apart.