Cell potency

Cell Potency

Cell potency is a cell's ability to differentiate into other cell types. The more cell types a cell can differentiate into, the greater its potency. Potency is also described as the gene activation potential within a cell, which like a continuum, begins with totipotency to designate a cell with the most differentiation potential, pluripotency, multipotency, oligopotency, and finally unipotency.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The term "potency" comes from the Latin "potentia", meaning power.

Types of Potency[edit | edit source]

There are several types of cell potency, including:

Pluripotency[edit | edit source]

Pluripotent cells can give rise to all of the cell types that make up the body; embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent. Pluripotency refers to a stem cell that has the potential to differentiate into any of the three germ layers: endoderm (interior stomach lining, gastrointestinal tract, the lungs), mesoderm (muscle, bone, blood, urogenital), or ectoderm (epidermal tissues and nervous system).

Related Terms[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Cell potency Resources
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