embryonic stem cell

Cultural  

1. Cells obtained from an embryo in the blastula phase, when they are still only a few days old. Because they have only begun to differentiate, these cells have the capability of developing into any cell in the human body, a fact which makes them potentially important in medicine. (See stem cell.)

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Example Sentences

The policy was based on a misunderstanding of embryonic stem cell science, which made it, in Mooney’s words, “a policy based on science fiction.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It is intriguing that such mechanistic determinants of embryogenesis could be identified by assembling and interrogating a mouse embryonic stem cell regulatory network, using methodologies originally developed for cancer research," adds Dr. Califano, co-corresponding author on the study.

From Science Daily

But rather than allow it to develop into a clone of the patient - the so-called embryonic stem cell could be coaxed into becoming nerve cells which could replace the damaged parts of his brain.

From BBC

They started with a human embryonic stem cell, editing its TKTL1 gene so that it no longer had the human mutation.

From New York Times

Originally from Switzerland, developmental biologist Dieter Egli of Columbia University relocated to New York City in 2008 to seek support for embryonic stem cell research.

From Science Magazine