Question

What is the difference between multipotent and pluripotent cells?

Answer 1

Multipotent cells:

1. Multipotent stem cells are cells that can self-renew by dividing and evolving into a variety of specialized cell types found in a certain tissue or organ.
2. The vast majority of adult stem cells are multipotent stem cells.

Pluripotent cells:

1. Pluripotent stem cells are cells that can self-renew by dividing and growing into the three major cell types that comprise the human body.
2. Pluripotent cells can generate all cell types.

Multipotent cells	Pluripotent cells
Definition: Multipotent stem cells are cells that can self-renew by dividing and evolving into a variety of specialized cell types found in a certain tissue or organ.	Definition: Pluripotent stem cells are cells that can self-renew by dividing and growing into the three major cell types that comprise the human body.
2. Multipotent cells can generate numerous cell types.	2. Pluripotent cells can generate all cell types.
3. The vast majority of adult stem cells are multipotent stem cells.	3. Pluripotent cells may give birth to all cell types found in the body; embryonic stem cells are pluripotent.