A cell with the capacity to form an entire organism.
Human development begins when a sperm fertilizes an egg and creates a single
totipotent cell. In the first hours after fertilization, this cell divides into
identical totipotent cells. Approximately four days after fertilization and after
several cycles of cell division, these totipotent cells begin to specialize.
Totipotent is as opposed to pluripotent and multipotent. 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.
medical
dictionary, online medical dictionary, medical
terminology dictionary, free online medical
dictionary, medical dictionary, online medical
dictionary, medical terminology dictionary, free
online medical dictionary, dictionary medical,
dictionary medical online, dictionary medical
terminology, dictionary free medical online,
dictionary free medical, dictionary medical
terms, dictionary drug medical medicine,
dictionary health illustrated medical nursing
profession stedmans, dictionary English medical,
dictionary medical online terminology,
dictionary encyclopedia medical online,
condition dictionary medical, dictionary
medical, dictionary drug medical, medical
dictionary software, cyclopedic dictionary index
medical tabers thumb, medical dictionary, online
medical dictionary, medical terminology
dictionary
