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Related Concept Videos

Embryonic Stem Cells00:57

Embryonic Stem Cells

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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...
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Embryonic Stem Cells00:58

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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.
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Maintenance of the ES Cell State01:14

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The cells of the blastocyst inner cell mass only remain pluripotent for a short time. This state of pluripotency and self-renewal can be maintained in embryonic stem (ES) cell culture by adding specific chemicals or growth factors to ensure the cells can continue dividing and later differentiate into different cell types. In some cases, the cells are grown on a feeder layer of differentiated cells, which provides the growth factors and extracellular matrix components necessary for stem cell...
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Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation01:10

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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...
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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells01:13

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

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Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore...
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EPS and iPS Cells in Disease Research01:21

EPS and iPS Cells in Disease Research

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Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells are excellent models for disease research because of their ability to self-renew and differentiate into most cell types. Somatic cells from a patient are isolated and reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs. These iPSCs are later differentiated into the desired cell type, which mirrors the diseased cell of the patient. In this way, disease models have been created for investigating diseases such as Down syndrome, type I diabetes,...
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Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Generation of Human Primordial Germ Cell-like Cells at the Surface of Embryoid Bodies from Primed-pluripotency Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
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Generative models: Human embryonic stem cells and multiple modeling relations.

Melinda Bonnie Fagan1

  • 1Department of Philosophy, University of Utah, United States.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
|April 17, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study challenges traditional views of model organisms, proposing human embryonic stem cells (hESC) as a novel example. It suggests model organisms form a network of interconnected systems rather than solely representing diverse species.

Keywords:
ExtrapolationGeneralizationHuman embryonic stem cellsModel organismsModelingRepresentation

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Patterning the Geometry of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies on Compliant Substrates to Control Tissue-Level Mechanics
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Robust Generation of Hepatocyte-like Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cell Populations
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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
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Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Science
  • Developmental Biology
  • Stem Cell Biology

Background:

  • Model organisms are typically viewed as scientific models representing multiple species.
  • This perspective assumes their primary role is generalization across diverse biological targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge conventional assumptions about the function and role of model organisms in scientific research.
  • To explore the unique epistemic contributions of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) as model organisms.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing human embryonic stem cells (hESC) as a case study.
  • Analyzing the practical epistemic role of hESC in contrast to established assumptions about model organisms.
  • Drawing parallels between hESC and classic model organisms like Escherichia coli and Drosophila melanogaster.

Main Results:

  • Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) can function as model organisms.
  • The epistemic role of hESC in practice diverges from traditional assumptions.
  • Identified four key contrasts highlighting the distinctiveness of hESC as a model system.

Conclusions:

  • Model organisms may be better understood as a network of constructively and developmentally related systems.
  • This network-based view offers an alternative to the representational model of organismal function.
  • Re-evaluates the philosophical underpinnings of model organism use in contemporary science.