Stem cells serve as the source of all the other specialized cells in the body, both when it forms during embryogenesis and when it replaces cells that have been lost to aging, injury or disease. The RIKEN CDB has created a brief animation to highlight some of the basic biological properties of stem cells, explain the different types of stem cell found in the embryonic body and the adult and illustrate the roles of these “master cells” in development and regeneration.
The animation and Flash interface were specially created for the CDB by Arkitek Studios.

To download an individual segment

Right-click the link for the segment in your preferred file format (Windows Media Player or Quicktime) and select [Save As].

To Import The Movie File into PowerPoint

After downloading a movie file, open your PowerPoint presentation, go to the PowerPoint Toolbar, select [Insert], then [Movies and Sounds], then [From File], and browse to your file.

These animations provide a conceptual tour of stem cells in early embryogenesis and a number of adult organ systems, based on the best current understanding of their structure and function. While every effort has been made to create as realistic a representation of cellular and molecular mechanisms as possible, future advances in research and visualization technology may significantly alter the way we understand the world at these microscopic scales. Users are encouraged to view the animations as illustrations of concepts and processes, rather than photorealistic representations of molecular- or cellular-level detail.