What is the size of a stem cell?

Question

year 10 student, australia:

i understand that there are two distinct types of the stem cell:

the embryonic stem cell, and the adult stem cell

i am doing a biology project for my year 11 class, and in the criteria of this project it outlines that in the description of the cell (in this case i have chosen the stem cell, both types), the size must be stated

i cant find the size of the stem cell anywhere!!!!!

i have found some great information however for the stem cell in general, just not its size (for both types, or indeed, for any of the types)

i really need to get this project done, i set aside the whole sunday to do it (nooo i could be at starbucks but nooo)

also any extra info would really help

10 points for best answerrrr come onnn

Answer 1

OK, I don't have any links to back this up so I'm going to give you might thoughts on stem cell size.

The so called adult stem cells, I would highly suspect that they are pretty much the same size as other differentiated somatic cells, between 60 um and 120 um, rough approximation.

Embryonic stem cells, I'm not sure about. However, in a typical blastocyst of between 200 and 400 cells, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence "."  There are approximately 16 ESCs.  So, that kind of givens you an idea about ESC size.  My guess is that their about the same size as any other somatic body cell.

I hope that helps you a bit.

Now, embryonic stem cells are routinely collected at or near day five of blastocyte maturation. That may help you find additional information.

See: http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jbb/...

You might find what you're seeking in

Experimental Transplantation of Human Fetal and Adult Pancreatic Islets

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content...

Research ESC age between 5 and 7 days at an average diameter of ?

Good luck