This document discusses stem cell niches and the microenvironment that supports stem cells. It outlines various cell types that make up stem cell niches in the bone marrow including mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial cells, and osteoblasts. It describes markers that characterize these cell types and factors they secrete like cytokines, growth factors, and extracellular matrix proteins that regulate stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Pathways involved in maintaining stem cells like the Wnt signaling pathway are also summarized.