Pluripotent stem cells are a type of stem cell that has the ability to differentiate into any cell type in the body. There are two main types of pluripotent stem cells: embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, a pre-implantation stage embryo, and have the ability to give rise to all the cell types in the body. Pluripotent stem cells are adult cells that have been reprogrammed back to a pluripotent state, allowing them to differentiate into any cell type in the body. In the field of stem cell research, pluripotent stem cells are of particular interest because of their potential to repair and regenerate damaged tissues and to model diseases in the laboratory.