Glossary
Quiescence
A state in which a cell is not actively dividing but has retained the ability to resume proliferating in response to certain stimuli including injury and changes in its environment.
For many years, quiescence was viewed as a relatively unimportant state during which cells are inactive. We have only recently discovered that quiescent stem cells are like the proverbial still waters that run deep. Quiescence is a complex and highly regulated state that is critical to the long-term survival and availability of the stem cell populations our bodies rely on throughout our lives.
- Director, UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center
- Professor, Neurology
