Microchimerism is a phenomenon where women have small numbers cells which they inhereted from their fetus during pregnacy. the mother and the fetus swap trace amounts of cells during pregnancy, and since males have a y-chromosome it is easier to detect in women than if it were a female fetus.
The thing is that women who undergo microchimerism have been found to have these cell for a long time. How does this work given that cells replace themselves on a constant basis? Are these cells simply regenerating like any other cells?
In: 5
Yes.
Basically, fetal cells have the ability to differentiate in any kind of cells, such as pancreatic or brain cells. These fetal cells cross the placenta and land somewhere in the mother’s body and then differentiate into the cells that are present, creating a new lineage of say, pancreatic cells in the pancreas that will just persist, develop and divide like other regular cells.
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