Final answer:
The three types of stem cell potency are totipotent (any cell type including extraembryonic tissues), pluripotent (all cell types except placental), and multipotent (limited cell types within a particular lineage or group of related cell types such as blood cells).
Step-by-step explanation:
There are three types of potency in stem cells, representing their ability to differentiate into other cell types and contribute to various lineages. These types are:
- Totipotent cells: These can differentiate into any cell type, including the embryonic and extraembryonic cell types. They have the ability to form an entire organism, as the zygote does after fertilization.
- Pluripotent cells: Pluripotent cells can turn into almost any cell type in the human body but cannot support the full development of an organism on their own and cannot form extraembryonic tissues, such as the placenta.
- Multipotent cells: Multipotent cells can differentiate into a range of cell types within a particular lineage or group of related cell types, like red blood cells or white blood cells, but have a more limited differentiation potential than pluripotent cells.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: a. Totipotent - any cell type; Pluripotent - all cell types except placental; Multipotent - limited cell types.