ABSTRACT
A pluripotent stem cell is an undifferentiated cell which has the potential to develop into virtually any cell type in the body. Pluripotent stem cells are transiently present during embryogenesis, in preimplantation embryos and fetal gonads. They can also be maintained as established cell lines, derived either from preimplantation embryos, primordial germ cells, or germ cell tumors.
