Reaction Paper on Stem Cell

Reaction Paper on Stem Cell Ibilola Aridegbe Coun502 Dr. Marcia Wiinamaki 01/27/2009 Human existence begins at conception Abstract The purpose of this research includes a brief overview of information found through Intoduction Stem cell research has brought about heated debate among academics and society as a whole. Especially among Christian circles. Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro or at an in vitro fertilization clinic which are then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. They are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman 's body contrary to the belief of some. The pros and cons of stem cell research come to the surface when we examine source of stem cells - embryonic cells. Embryonic stem cells are extracted directly from an embryo before the embryo 's cells begin to differentiate. At this stage the embryo is referred to as a "blastocyst." There are about 100 cells in a blastocyst, a very large percentage of which are stem cells, which can be kept alive indefinitely, grown in cultures, where the stem cells continue to double in number every 2-3 days. A replicating set of stem cells from a single blastocyst is called a "stem cell line" because the genetic material all comes from the same fertilized human egg that started it. The embryos from which human embryonic stem cells are harvested are typically four or five days old and are a hollow microscopic ball of cells called the blastocyst. The blastocyst includes three structures: the trophoblast, which is the layer of cells that surrounds the blastocyst; the blastocoel, which is the hollow cavity inside the blastocyst; and the inner cell mass, which is a group of approximately 30 cells at one end of the blastocoel. Those who value human life from the point of conception, oppose embryonic stem cell research because the extraction of stem cells from this type of an embryo requires its destruction. In other

References: The Real Promise of Stem Cell Research Dr. David Prentice, HealthNewsDigest.com Derivation of Human Stem-Cell Lines from Human Blastocysts, C. A. Cowan and others. March 25, 2004, New England Journal of Medicine, p.1355 King James Version