title: Why stem cells?
abstract: Stem cells are viewed from the perspectives of their function, evolution, development, and cause. Counterintuitively, most stem cells may arise late in development, to act principally in tissue renewal, thus ensuring an organism's long-term survival. Surprisingly, recent reports suggest that tissue-specific adult stem cells have the potential to contribute to replenishment of multiple adult tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8 Canada. derek.van.der.kooy@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van der Kooy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*