Stem cells have generated considerable interest recently in the scientific, clinical, and public arenas. It is essential that we gain a broader understanding of the factors that regulate the biology of stem cells: their ability for self-renewal, differentiation, and plasticity, as well as the differences between embryonic and adult stem cells. And to learn whether stem cells can be manipulated to replace cells in diseased tissues depends on better understanding their normal developmental properties.

This volume offers contributions from numerous interdisciplinary areas bridging...