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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
The egg harvesting was successful, and five years later, in remission again after the stem cell transplant, Greenwood and her husband went through IVF to try to get pregnant.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024
There wasn’t any room for the maternal stem cells to go.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 21 Feb. 2024
Klein was the leader of Proposition 71, a California ballot measure approved by voters in 2004 that ensured state funding for stem cell research to support medical discoveries and cures to diseases.
—Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
And the ruling also raises risks for institutions that use embryos for stem cell research.
—Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 22 Feb. 2024
Many skin issues are the result of aging, such as chronic inflammation, stem cell exertion, and the gradual loss of skin elasticity, which leads to the phenomenon of sagging.
—Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
The prostate gland has an epithelial part where the gland cells make PSA and prostate-specific antigens; those epithelial cells or stem cells that regenerate the gland cells are the source of cancer.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 Feb. 2024
What is about to emerge with stem cell research is amazing on the anti-aging front.
—Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
On certain days after therapy, the medical staff administers stem cells, an infusion that takes about 40 minutes and is followed by intense movement with therapists for the rest of the day.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stem cell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1896, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near stem cell
Cite this Entry
“Stem cell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stem%20cell. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
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
: 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
More from Merriam-Webster on stem cell
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stem cell
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