Abstract:
Objectives: The origin of adult stem cells remains an open question. If they derive
from embryos, it is difficult to determine the mechanism which interrupts their
differentiation during tissue formation. In the 1960s, the Bonghan microcell was
suggested as one possible, yet to be described, route of stem cell production, such
that they have the potential to proliferate to produce normal cells.
Materials and Methods: In this study, Bonghan microcells were isolated from
Bonghan tissues on rat organ surfaces, and their detailed morphology examined by
electron and atomic force microscopy.
Results: The ultrastructure observed distinguished them from apoptotic bodies and
other microorganisms, and their unique, possible proliferation feature, as protruding
threads, was imaged by atomic force microscopy.
Description:
*Corresponding author. Biomedical Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea.
E-mail: kssoh1@gmail.com