Identification and Isolation of Bone Marrow Stem Cells

All blood cells and a variety of other cells in most tissues and organs of the body are derived from pluripotent haemopoietic stem cells which reside in the liver during fetal life and in the bone marrow later on. These stem cells are very rare; they constitute less than 1% of haemopoietic organs. They can nevertheless be studied by application of cell separation and culture techniques, and, if they are purified, by biochemical analysis.