Totipotent

Totipotent is a term used in cell biology to describe a cell that has the capacity to divide, differentiate, and develop into any cell type in the body, including extraembryonic tissues. The term is derived from the Latin words 'totus' meaning 'whole' and 'potens' meaning 'powerful'.

Characteristics

Totipotent cells have the ability to develop into a complete organism. In mammals, only the zygote and the first few cells it divides into are totipotent. These cells can form all the cell types in a body, plus the extraembryonic, or placental, cells. In contrast, pluripotent cells can give rise to all of the cell types that make up the body; but they are not capable of developing into an entire organism.

Examples

In plants, many differentiated cells can become totipotent, with the ability to grow into a whole new plant. This property is exploited in horticulture and agriculture, where cuttings of a plant are used to grow several new plants.

See also

• Pluripotent
• Multipotent
• Unipotent
• Stem cell

References

Totipotent Resources
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