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Science 25 February 2000:
Vol. 287. no. 5457, pp. 1439 - 1441
DOI: 10.1126/science.287.5457.1439
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Review

Why Stem Cells?

Derek van der Kooy, 1 and Samuel Weiss 2

Stem cells are viewed from the perspectives of their function, evolution, development, and cause. Counterintuitively, most stem cells may arise late in development, to act principally in tissue renewal, thus ensuring an organism's long-term survival. Surprisingly, recent reports suggest that tissue-specific adult stem cells have the potential to contribute to replenishment of multiple adult tissues.

1 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8 Canada.
2 Genes & Development Research Group, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1 Canada.
E-mail: derek.van.der.kooy{at}utoronto.ca; weiss{at}ucalgary.ca

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)