Cord Blood Stem Cells Information

Can stem cells directly become red blood cells?

or for that matter, any kind of blood cells. what are Hematopoietic stem cells in depth. How would a Eukariotic stem cell become a blood cell dirctly? is a blood cell Procariotic? In other ways, i've heard stem cells become cells that create red blood cells? is this in the marrow? please explain!! TY!!

Public Comments

1. A Stem Cell is an undifferentiated cell that can become several different cell types by differentiating. In the adult body, it is Haematopoetic Stem Cells that differentiate into blood cells. In the embryo, during development, Embryonic Stem Cells differentiate into *every* cell type found in the adult body (including Haematopoetic Stem Cells). Embryonic Stem Cells are "Totipotent" - they can become any other cell type. Adult Stem Cells on the other hand are "Multipotent" - they can become several (but not all) cell types. As part of differentiation, stem cells become "committed" to specific lineages, and lose their ability to become every cell type. So Haematopoetic Stem Cells are cells that differentiate into different blood cell types: erythrocytes (red blood cells), platelets, basophils, neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, and others. Most of this differentiation occurs in the bone marrow, and the differentiation into the different final cell types will take specific routes. So differentiation from a multipotent haematopoetic stem cell into an erythrocytes takes this path: Haematopoetic Cell - Common Myeloid Progenitor - Proerythroblast - Basophilic Erythroblast - Polychromatic Erythroblast - Orthrochromatic Erythroblast - Reticulocyte - Erythrocyte. Each of the stages is indicated by different morphology and behaviour, but once a haematopoetic cell has differentiated into a Proerythroblast, it is committed to becoming an erythrocyte, and cannot "change its mind". Blood cells are *not* prokaryotic. Most types of blood cell retain their nuclei (except erythrocytes and platelets). Prokaryotic cells (bacteria) have DNA, but it is not contained within a nucleus. Non-nucleated eukaryotic cells no longer posses their DNA or nucleus, but are not prokaryotic.