Information AboutTotipotency |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT TOTIPOTENCY | |
| developmental biology | |
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Totipotent cells have total potential. They specialize into Pluripotent cells that can give rise to most, but not all, of the tissues necessary for fetal development. Pluripotent cells undergo further specialization into Multipotent cells that are committed to give rise to cells that have a particular function. For example, multipotent blood stem cells give rise to the red cells, white cells and platelets in the blood. Importantly, totipotent cells must be able to differentiate not only into any cell in the organism, but also into the extraembrionic tissue associated with that organism. For example, human stem cells are considered totipotent only if they can develop into any cell in the body, or into Placenta l cells that do not become part of the developing fetus. This is an important aspect of the Stem Cell Controversy . BASIS OF TOTIPOTENCY The molecular mechanisms controlling totipotency are not well understood and are a subject for current research. In particular, a February 2006 report in Science suggests that in the model organism ''C. Elegans'' , multiple mechanisms including RNA regulation maintain totipotency at different stages of development. SEE ALSO |
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