pluripotent

adjective

plu·​rip·​o·​tent plu̇-ˈri-pə-tənt How to pronounce pluripotent (audio)
: not fixed as to developmental potentialities
especially : capable of differentiating into one of many cell types
pluripotent stem cells

Examples of pluripotent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Why Trust Us? For decades, scientists have been able to create stems cells—known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells—from somatic cells, such as those found in our skin. Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2023 Singh says the ability to pick out pluripotent cells from REject cells within the early embryo will be indispensable for researchers studying regenerative medicine, who need to be able to grow different types of body tissues in order to create laboratory models of diseases. Celia Ford, WIRED, 17 July 2023 The development of the organoids field has been made possible by two bioengineering breakthroughs: induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) and 3D cell culturing techniques. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Apr. 2023 So far, induced pluripotent stem cells seem able to do pretty much anything that real embryonic stem cells can do, including growing into embryolike structures in vitro. Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 13 June 2023 These findings show that human pluripotent stem cells can become part of ungulate embryos, but the process is not very efficient. Study Summaries, Scientific American, 17 May 2023 Using a technique developed by Nobel Prize laureate Shinya Yamanaka, Hayashi’s team has introduced genes into somatic cells to turn them into pluripotent stem cells, a type of cell that can stand in for an embryonic cell. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 8 May 2023 Lane Turner/Globe Staff The microscopic view of a blood sample taken from one of the centenarians after it is reprogrammed to become a pluripotent stem cell. Kay Lazar, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2023 The development of organoids has been made possible by two bioengineering breakthroughs: induced pluripotent stem cells and 3D cell culturing techniques. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pluripotent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin plur-, plus more + English potent

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pluripotent was in 1916

Dictionary Entries Near pluripotent

Cite this Entry

“Pluripotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pluripotent. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Medical Definition

pluripotent

adjective
plu·​rip·​o·​tent plu̇-ˈrip-ət-ənt How to pronounce pluripotent (audio)
1
: not fixed as to developmental potentialities
especially : capable of differentiating into one of many cell types
pluripotent stem cells
2
: capable of having more than one effect
pluripotent activity
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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