Question: What Causes a Stem Cell to Develop into a Certain Type of Cell?
Answer: In very basic terms, a stem cell is an immature cell. In more technical terms, stem cells are unspecialized cells lacking structures that are specific to certain types of tissue. The process a stem cell goes through from nonspecific stem cell to specialized body cell is call "differentiation." Embryonic stem cells can become any type of body cell and are referred to as "pluripotent." Adult stem cells are generally more limited in the number of cell types that they can differentiate into. Thusly, they are called "unipotent." Although the specific mechanism or mechanisms that trigger stem cell differentiation are not currently known, researchers believe that "support" cells send information to a stem cell during cell reproduction, causing one of the daughter cells to differentiate. Special enzymes and proteins also play a role in prompting the process of differentiation.
