Abstract: The present invention is directed to unique properties of stem cells, including methods to identify stem cell markers by identifying molecules associated specifically with chromosomes in stem cells. More particularly, we have discovered that somatic stem cells repeatedly inherit an entire complement of chromosomes that contain the same parental template DNA strands from one generation to the next. The present invention also provides methods related to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments for cancer and aging in mammalian tissus, including human.