What is.,,a stem cell

摘要

When most people hear the words’stem cell',science fiction-inspired images pop into their heads:a cure to all diseases,or scenarios with bioengineered humans,for example.However,while the term’stem cell’still sounds futuristic to some,it actually originated in the late 19th century,when it became apparent that different cell types in the blood share a common precursor cell.Today,the definition of a stem cell combines two main characteristics: