Stage specific embryonic antigen 3
Encyclopedia
Stage-specific embryonic antigen 3 (SSEA-3) is a glycosphingolipid, specifically, an oligosaccharide
composed of five carbohydrate
units connected to a sphingolipid
. Sphinogolipids were originally discovered in 1884 by Dr. Thudichum who named them after the Sphinx
of Greek mythology
in reference to the unresolved riddle of their function. It is now known that sphingolipids function as key players in cell signaling and the SSEA-3 molecule as a whole plays a key role in identifying many types of mammal
ian cells with pluripotent and stem cell
-like characteristics.
Oligosaccharide
An oligosaccharide is a saccharide polymer containing a small number of component sugars, also known as simple sugars...
composed of five carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
units connected to a sphingolipid
Sphingolipid
Sphingolipids are a class of lipids containing a backbone of sphingoid bases, a set of aliphatic amino alcohols that includes sphingosine. They were discovered in brain extracts in the 1870s and were named for the mythological Sphinx because of their enigmatic nature. These compounds play...
. Sphinogolipids were originally discovered in 1884 by Dr. Thudichum who named them after the Sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
in reference to the unresolved riddle of their function. It is now known that sphingolipids function as key players in cell signaling and the SSEA-3 molecule as a whole plays a key role in identifying many types of mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
ian cells with pluripotent and stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
-like characteristics.