What are the differences between stem cells and normal cells?
Posted November 6, 2023
Basis of differentiation |
Stem cells |
Normal cells |
Definition |
Are undifferentiated cells of a multicellular organism which that able to infinitely multiply into more cells of the same type |
Normal cells are the basic structural and functional units of all forms of life; they are unable to self-renew |
Differentiation |
Stem cells are able to differentiate into normal cells |
Normal cells cannot differentiate into stem cell |
Meiosis |
Stem cells do not undergo meiosis |
Some normal cells undergo meiosis (germ cells) |
Organisms found in |
Stem cells are found in most multicellular organisms |
Normal cells are found in all organisms |
Cell lineages |
Stem cells are found at the beginning of the cell lineage because they give rise to daughter cells and differentiated cells |
Normal cells are found at the end of the cell lineages |
Lifespan/longevity |
The lifetime depends on the type of stem cells, and survive comparatively longer than normal cells |
Lifespan of normal cells is comparatively shorter than stem cells, and varies depending on the location in the body |
Transplantation |
Can be used in transplantation (stem cell therapy) |
Are typically not used in transplantation therapy |
Functions |
Its main function is to differentiate into other cells |
Has various different functions in the body (e.g. taking in nutrients from food, protein synthesis, moving substances across the cell membrane) |