The main types of stem cells are:
- Totipotent Stem Cells: Can develop into any cell type in the body, including placental cells. An example is the fertilized egg (zygote).
- Pluripotent Stem Cells: Can become almost any type of cell in the body except for placental cells. These include:
- Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs): Derived from early-stage embryos (blastocysts).
- Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs): Adult cells that are genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state.
- Multipotent Stem Cells: Limited to differentiating into a specific range of cell types related to a certain tissue or organ. Examples include mesenchymal stem cells which can form bone, cartilage, muscle, and fat cells.
- Oligopotent Stem Cells: Can differentiate into a few closely related cell types, such as certain blood cell lineages.
- Unipotent Stem Cells: Can produce only one cell type, but have the property of self-renewal. An example is muscle stem cells that only make muscle cells.
These categories reflect progressively narrower differentiation potentials from totipotent to unipotent stem cells, with various medical and research applications based on their capabilities.
