The spelling of the term "stem cell" can be a bit tricky to decipher through phonetics. The initial sound of the first syllable is a voiceless alveolar fricative, represented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) as "s." The following vowel sound is pronounced as "e," represented in the IPA as "ɛ." The final consonant sound is a voiced bilabial stop, represented as "m" in the IPA. The second syllable includes the short "e" sound as in "bet," represented in the IPA as "ɛ," followed by a velarized lateral approximant, marked as the symbolic "l" in the IPA.
Stem cells are unique undifferentiated cells found in the body that have the remarkable ability to develop into different cell types. These cells are characterized by their potential to divide and multiply indefinitely, as well as their capacity to differentiate into specialized cells that make up various tissues and organs. Stem cells are categorized into two main types: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells are obtained from early-stage embryos, typically between three and five days old. These cells are pluripotent, meaning they have the ability to give rise to all cell types present in the body. As they divide and differentiate, embryonic stem cells can form nerve cells, muscle cells, blood cells, and many others.
Adult stem cells are found throughout the body in various tissues and organs, such as bone marrow, blood, skin, and muscles. Unlike embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells are multipotent, meaning they can differentiate into a limited number of cell types. For instance, adult stem cells in the bone marrow can give rise to different blood cells, while those in the skin can form different skin cell types.
Stem cells hold significant potential in medical research and therapy due to their regenerative properties. They offer scientists the opportunity to study how diseases develop and progress, as well as to develop novel treatments and therapies. Additionally, stem cells have the potential to be used in regenerative medicine to repair or replace damaged tissues or organs in patients suffering from various conditions, injuries, or degenerative diseases.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The term "stem cell" originates from the combination of two words: "stem" and "cell". Here is the etymology of each word:
1. Stem: The word "stem" dates back to Middle English, where it was derived from the Old English word "stefn", meaning "trunk of a tree or plant". It can be traced further back to the Germanic word "stamniz". The term "stem" is used metaphorically in biology to represent the main axis or central part of a plant or organism, from which branches, leaves, or other parts arise. In the context of stem cells, "stem" refers to their ability to give rise to other specialized cell types.
2. Cell: The word "cell" comes from the Latin word "cella", which initially referred to small rooms or compartments.