Abstract
Introduction to part IV "Oral and Craniofacial Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering" provides characterization of stem cells incl. their biological properties such as the ability of self-renewal, high proliferative capacity, broad differentiation potential, stem cell plasticity, resistance and ability to transit to a dormancy. Other parts summarize stem cell history, their origin in a body and describe a microenvironment, which regulates stem cell activity.