Stem Cell Types

Question 1

Totipotent

Answer 1

Fusion of an egg and sperm cell.
Can differentiate into embryonic and extraembryonic cell types.

Question 2

Pluripotent

Answer 2

Descendants of totipotent cells and can differentiate into cells derived from the three germ layers.

Question 3

Multipotent

Answer 3

Can produce only cells of a closely-related family of cells (e.g. hematopoietic SCs differentiate into RBCs, WBCs, platelets etc.)

Question 4

Unipotent

Answer 4

Can produce only one cell type but are self-renewing which distinguishes them from non-stem cells.