An article in http://www.howstuffworks.com has a link to a stem cell primary. This link states there are 3 types of stem cells: totipotential, pluripotential, and multipotential. Recent results in “cloning” (wherein an egg nucleus is replaced with a somatic nucleus from another animal), leads me to thinking vis a vis that link that the somatic cell must have been at least multipotential. (It could not be totipotential, but strangely enough, when it multiplies, it does produce totipotential cells.) So, you geneticists, please fill in the details. Are the cells multi - or pluri - potential (which I assume they must)? How do they revert to becoming totipotential upon being inserted into an egg and reproducing?
I’m bumping this up once in case one of the genetics experts missed this before and can clue me in on my questions.