Embryonic Stem Cell
Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are totipotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells. Isolating the embryoblast or inner cell mass (ICM) results in destruction of the fertilized human embryo, which raises ethical issues. Those issues include whether or not a potential human life at the embryonic stage should be granted the moral status of a human being.
Human ES cells measure approximately 14μm while mouse ES cells are closer to 8μm.
Read more about Embryonic Stem Cell: Types, Research History and Developments, Reducing Donor-host Rejection, Safety: Reducing The Risk of Teratoma and Other Cancers As A Side Effect, First Clinical Trial, Potential Method For New Cell Line Derivation, Use of Human Embryonic Stem Cells As Models For Human Genetic Disorders
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