Cord Banking: Glossary of Terms

Bone marrow transplants
When bone marrow is taken from a donor and infused into a recipient for the transfer of stem cells. Similar to a blood transfusion in process.

Cryogenically Frozen
Cryogenics refers to the study of producing very low temperatures. Cryogenically frozen refers to the process of freezing something at a low enough temperature to prevent it from degrading (preventing cell death in the case of blood.)

Differentiation
In biological terms, differentiation refers to the process in which cells become more specialized. Stem cells start off as unspecialized cells, then become more specialized through differentiation.

Engraftment
In terms of stem cell transplants, refers to the point at which the transplanted cells resume creating additional cells through division and differentiation.

Hematopoietic cells
These are multipotent stem cells that create various blood cell types in the body.

Placenta
The organ that connects a developing fetus to the uterine wall. In humans, the placenta is connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord.

Proliferate
When referring to cells; the ability to continually divide and create new cells (a trait normally found exclusively in stem cells.)

Stem cells
The 'building blocks' of other cells in organisms, these 'unspecilized' cells are able to divide into additional stem cells, as well as differentiate into more specialized cells.

Umbilical cord
A cord connecting the placenta to the fetus during pregnancy. Also referred to as the birth cord.