stem cell

noun

: an unspecialized cell that gives rise to differentiated cells

hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow

Examples of stem cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Parsons had been in remission for multiple myeloma following a stem cell transplant in 2016. —Stephen Galloway, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Dec. 2024

Arguably, stem cells represent the future of healthcare and medical research. —New Atlas, 26 Dec. 2024

Theme Director of Stem Cell Medicine Professor Enzo Porrello discusses how stem cells could be key in treating heart disease in children and what could cause congenital heart disease. —Dr. Marc Siegel Fox News, Fox News, 24 Dec. 2024

Cryogenically preserved and banked in a secure lab, Acorn will soon offer bespoke serums from patients’ stem cell secretions for use at future microneedling appointments. —Jessica Ourisman, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

stem cell

noun

: a simple cell that can become a cell (as a blood cell or skin cell) with a special function

Medical Definition

stem cell

noun

ˈstem- 

: an unspecialized cell capable of perpetuating itself through cell division and having the potential to give rise to differentiated cells with specialized functions

Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst stage of the embryo.

—Carrie J. Merkle, in Essentials of Pathophysiology

… picture the bone marrow as a blood cell factory that takes a single type of precursor cell, or stem cell, and modifies it in various ways to produce all the cells that circulate in the blood.

—Gina Kolata, Discover

Recent observations are providing increasing evidence for the concept that adult stem cells are part of a natural system for tissue repair.

—Darwin J. Prockop, in Essentials of Stem Cell Biology