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What are the sources of Stem Cells - Where do they come from?
| Types | Source | Note |
| Embryonic |
Cells from human blastocyst
(the inner cell mass of a 5-14 day old embryo) |
Pluripotent cell types. Can become nerve, retinal, bone, cartilage, or epithelial tissue. |
| Fetal Stem Cells |
Cells from aborted or dead fetuses |
Obviously very controversial. Multipotent cell type. |
| Umbilical Cord Stem Cells |
Cells from the umbilical cord blood of newborns |
Multipotent cell type. aka Blood stem cells. Not controversial. Cord blood banks set up for this purpose. |
| Placenta derived Stem Cells |
Cells from the placenta and amniotic fluids of newborns/mothers |
Multipotent cell type. |
| Adult Stem Cells |
Cells from adult tissues ie. bone marrow, fat, skin, brain, muscle, liver, etc. |
Not controversial. Multipotent cell type. |
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