Embryonic stem cells that are pluripotent can develop into any type of cell.

Every cell in the entire organism contains all the DNA that the original zygote had. The genes that the specialized cells don't use are inactivated.

In 2006, Shinya Yamanaka made a groundbreaking discovery. He found a new way to reprogrammed adult, specialized cells to turn them into stem cells. These laboratory-grown stem cells are pluripotent- they can make any type of cell in the body - and are called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells.

Only embryonic stem cells are naturally pluripotent. Yamanaka's discovery means that theoretically any dividing cell of the body can now be turned into a pluripotent stem cell.

Pluripotent

Pluripotent is a term used in the science of Human Biology. Pluripotent Stem Cells are an important in the field of Stem Cell Research. Researchers are trying to find ways the pluripotent stem cells can be used to cure illnesses in humans.

Pluripotent cells can give rise to all of the cell types that make up the body; embryonic stem cells are considered pluripotent. Multipotent cells can develop into more than one cell type, but are more limited than pluripotent cells; adult stem cells and cord blood stem cells are considered multipotent.