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Related Concept Videos

Nuclear Stability03:18

Nuclear Stability

Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively charged protons together in the...
Nuclear Binding Energy02:13

Nuclear Binding Energy

The difference between the calculated and experimentally measured masses is known as the mass defect of the atom. In the case of helium-4, the mass defect indicates a “loss” in mass of 4.0331 amu – 4.0026 amu = 0.0305 amu. The loss in mass accompanying the formation of an atom from protons, neutrons, and electrons is due to the conversion of that mass into energy that is evolved as the atom forms. The nuclear binding energy is the energy produced when the atoms’ nucleons are bound together;...
Nuclear Fission02:50

Nuclear Fission

Many heavier elements with smaller binding energies per nucleon can decompose into more stable elements that have intermediate mass numbers and larger binding energies per nucleon—that is, mass numbers and binding energies per nucleon that are closer to the “peak” of the binding energy graph near 56. Sometimes neutrons are also produced. This decomposition of a large nucleus into smaller pieces is called fission. The breaking is rather random with the formation of a large number of different...
Nuclear Power02:36

Nuclear Power

Controlled nuclear fission reactions are used to generate electricity. Any nuclear reactor that produces power via the fission of uranium or plutonium by bombardment with neutrons has six components: nuclear fuel consisting of fissionable material, a nuclear moderator, a neutron source, control rods, reactor coolant, and a shield and containment system.
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
Nuclear Fusion02:45

Nuclear Fusion

The process of converting very light nuclei into heavier nuclei is also accompanied by the conversion of mass into large amounts of energy, a process called fusion. The principal source of energy in the sun is a net fusion reaction in which four hydrogen nuclei fuse and ultimately produce one helium nucleus and two positrons.
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
Nuclear Transmutation03:20

Nuclear Transmutation

Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed protons being...

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Preparation and Evaluation of Hybrid Composites of Chemical Fuel and Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes in the Study of Thermopower Waves
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Changing potency by spontaneous fusion.

Qi-Long Ying1, Jennifer Nichols, Edward P Evans

  • 1Centre for Genome Research, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ, UK.

Nature
|April 5, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mammalian stem cells may not inherently change tissue types. Instead, fusion between central nervous system progenitor cells and embryonic stem cells creates hybrid cells with pluripotent potential.

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Area of Science:

  • Stem cell biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Cellular reprogramming

Background:

  • Recent reports suggest mammalian stem cells can differentiate into cell types of other tissues.
  • The intrinsic plasticity of tissue stem cells is a widely discussed phenomenon.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define a mechanism by which central nervous system progenitor cells can generate non-neural derivatives.
  • To investigate the potential for epigenetic reprogramming and cell fusion in stem cell plasticity.

Main Methods:

  • Co-culturing mouse brain progenitor cells with pluripotent embryonic stem cells.
  • Utilizing a transgenic marker for selection of brain cells.
  • Analyzing the genomic and phenotypic characteristics of recovered cells.

Main Results:

  • Undifferentiated stem cells were recovered carrying both brain cell and embryonic stem cell genetic material.
  • Epigenetic reprogramming of the brain cell genome occurred.
  • The recovered cells were identified as tetraploid hybrid cells with full pluripotent character.
  • These hybrid cells contributed to multiple lineages in chimaeras.

Conclusions:

  • The observed plasticity is not due to direct conversion but spontaneous generation of hybrid cells via fusion.
  • Transdetermination, resulting from cell fusion, may explain many observations attributed to intrinsic stem cell plasticity.
  • This finding redefines the understanding of stem cell behavior and differentiation potential.