Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with self-renewal property and varying differentiation potential that allow the regeneration of tissue cells of an organism throughout adult life beginning from embryonic development. Through the asymmetric cell divisions, each stem cell replicates itself and produces an offspring identical with the mother cell, and a daughter cell that possesses the characteristics of a progenitor cell and commits to a specific lineage to differentiate into tissue cells to maintain homeostasis. To maintain a pool of stem cells to ensure tissue regeneration and homeostasis, it is important to regulate the metabolic functioning of stem cells, progenitor cells and adult tissue stem cells that will meet their internal and external needs. Upon fertilization, the zygote transforms metabolic reprogramming while implantation, embryonic development, organogenesis processes and after birth through adult life. Metabolism in stem cells is a concept that is relatively new to be enlightened. There are no adequate and comprehensive in vitro studies on the comparative analysis of the effects of one-carbon (1-C) metabolism on fetal and adult stem cells compared to embryonic and cancer stem cells’ studies that have been reported recently. Since 1-C metabolism is linking parental environmental/ dietary factors and fetal development, investigating the epigenetic, genetic, metabolic and developmental effects on adult period is necessary. Several mutations and abnormalities in 1-C metabolism have been noted in disease changing from diabetes, cancer, pregnancy-related outcomes such as pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortion, placental abruption, premature delivery, and cardiovascular diseases. In this review, the effects of 1-C metabolism, mainly the methionine and folate metabolism, in stem cells that exist in different developmental stages will be discussed.

干细胞是未分化的细胞，具有自我更新的特性和不同的分化潜能，允许生物体的组织细胞从胚胎发育开始在整个成年期再生。通过不对称的细胞分裂，每个干细胞自我复制并产生与母细胞相同的后代，以及具有祖细胞特征并致力于特定谱系分化成组织细胞以维持体内平衡的子细胞。为了维持干细胞库以确保组织再生和体内平衡，重要的是调节干细胞、祖细胞和成体组织干细胞的代谢功能，以满足它们的内部和外部需求。受精后，受精卵在着床时转化代谢重编程，胚胎发育、器官发生过程和出生后到成年生活。干细胞代谢是一个相对较新的概念。与最近报道的胚胎和癌症干细胞研究相比，没有足够和全面的体外研究对一碳 (1-C) 代谢对胎儿和成人干细胞的影响进行比较分析。由于 1-C 代谢将亲本环境/饮食因素与胎儿发育联系起来，因此有必要研究对成年期的表观遗传、遗传、代谢和发育影响。在由糖尿病、癌症、妊娠相关结果（如先兆子痫、自然流产、胎盘早剥、早产、和心血管疾病。在这篇综述中，将讨论 1-C 代谢，主要是蛋氨酸和叶酸代谢，对存在于不同发育阶段的干细胞的影响。