Pluripotency
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Pluripotency is the ability or potential for a cell to be morphed or transformed into any cell in the body.
Specifically, a cell has pluripotency if it has the potential to differentiate into any one of the three germ layers:
- endoderm (e.g., interior stomach lining, lungs, and the gastrointestinal tract)
- mesoderm (e.g., bone, blood, muscle)
- ectoderm (e.g., the nervous system and epidermal tissues)
In contrast, "multipotent" can differentiate into only a limited number of cells in the body.