Practice question

Essential stem cell properties include prolonged self-renewal, maintenance of an undifferentiated state with open chromatin, and capacity to differentiate into specialized functional cells under niche cues. Self-renewal involves asymmetric or symmetric divisions preserving stem pool while generating progeny. Limited division potential characterizes transit-amplifying progenitors and differentiated somatic cells subject to Hayflick limit and telomere attrition. True stem cells divide extensively throughout life, expressing telomerase and checkpoint evasion mechanisms. Recognizing unlimited self-renewal versus limited progenitor amplification separates stemness from more restricted proliferative populations during tissue homeostasis.