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Related Concept Videos

Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation01:10

Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation

The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...
Embryonic Stem Cells00:57

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
Embryonic Stem Cells00:58

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
Spermatogenesis01:41

Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced in the male testes. It starts with stem cells located close to the outer rim of seminiferous tubules. These spermatogonial stem cells divide asymmetrically to give rise to additional stem cells (meaning that these structures “self-renew”), as well as sperm progenitors, called spermatocytes. Importantly, this method of asymmetric mitotic division maintains a population of spermatogonial stem cells in the male reproductive...
Stem Cell Culture01:17

Stem Cell Culture

Stem cell research aims to find ways to use stem cells to regenerate and repair cellular damage. Over time, most adult cells undergo the wear and tear of aging and lose their ability to divide and repair themselves. Stem cells do not display a particular morphology or function. Adult stem cells, which exist as a small subset of cells in most tissues, keep dividing and can differentiate into a number of specialized cells generally formed by that tissue. These cells enable the body to renew and...
Gastrulation01:56

Gastrulation

Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Isolation and Derivation of Mouse Embryonic Germinal Cells
14:01

Isolation and Derivation of Mouse Embryonic Germinal Cells

Published on: October 22, 2009

Embryonic stem cells: testing the germ-cell theory.

Konrad Hochedlinger1

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. khochedlinger@helix.mgh.harvard.edu

Current Biology : CB
|October 29, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) origins are unclear. New research suggests ESCs in standard cultures arise from a temporary germ-cell state, shedding light on early development.

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Germ Cell Transplantation and Testis Tissue Xenografting in Mice
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Germ Cell Transplantation and Testis Tissue Xenografting in Mice

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Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
12:06

Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: January 11, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Isolation and Derivation of Mouse Embryonic Germinal Cells
14:01

Isolation and Derivation of Mouse Embryonic Germinal Cells

Published on: October 22, 2009

Germ Cell Transplantation and Testis Tissue Xenografting in Mice
10:41

Germ Cell Transplantation and Testis Tissue Xenografting in Mice

Published on: February 6, 2012

Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
12:06

Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: January 11, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Stem cell research
  • Cellular origins

Background:

  • The precise cellular source of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) has been a long-standing question in developmental biology.
  • Understanding ESC origins is crucial for regenerative medicine and developmental studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cellular origin of embryonic stem cells derived under conventional culture conditions.
  • To provide compelling evidence for a specific cellular precursor state.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cellular markers and developmental trajectories.
  • Comparative studies of cells in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

  • Embryonic stem cells established in conventional culture conditions demonstrate characteristics indicative of a transient germ-cell state.
  • This finding challenges previous assumptions about ESC derivation.

Conclusions:

  • Embryonic stem cells, commonly used in research, originate from a transient germ-cell precursor.
  • This discovery offers new insights into early cell fate decisions and stem cell biology.