When differentiated cells removed from body and maintained in culture they usually maintain differentiated form = have a memory
Stem cells in culture divide and capable of producing limited number of differentiated cell types
Totipotent cells potentially produce any type of cell/whole organs e.g. early embryonic stem cells maintained in culture with stimulating factors have potential to produce all cell types for adult organism
Stem cells also transplanted into other organisms but chance of rejection by donor as DNA from different individual
Most somatic cells reverted back to totipotency in right environment
Plants can be cloned in synthetic environment - take cells and put in correct environment
Natural environments - remove nucleus from one cell and using another unfertilised enucleated egg as host
Problem when embryo develops - all cells determined at 16 cell stage in humans
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