Stem cells – often referred to as “the building blocks of the human body” are like the basic ingredient needed in order to create a human being. This is why large amounts of stem cells can be found in early stage embryos in comparison to the adult human body where there are not as many present. Stem cells are “unspecialized” cells which have the potential to produce different types of specialist cells such as brain, muscle, or tissue cells. On January the 22nd 2001, the British House of Lords voted to relax the restrictions on the use of human embryonic stem cells. This has allowed scientists to use early stage embryos for therapeutic purposes. And whilst this has so far advanced the medical research into better treatment and possible cures for some disease’s there are many ethical and moral debates that surround the use embryonic and adult stem cells.…
1. What institutions do you think make the United States strong economically? A: I think the three branches of the United States government make the United States strong economically. Countries that aren’t corrupt get there citizens out of poverty and therefore, become strong economically.…
I would like to introduce you to Embryonic Stem Cell. Embryonic stem cell are by most scientists and researchers to cure spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, Alzheimer's diseases, heart disease, hundreds of rare immune system and genetic disorders and much more. These Embryonic Stem cell have the ability to form doll adult cell types. Stem cells are found limited quantities in every human body, and can be extracted from adult tissue with great effort but without harm.…
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent(able to grow) stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage preimplantation embryo. Embryonic stem cells can form any possible cells in the body. These stem cells are used to better understand and treat diseases. They also help scientist understand how diseases occur/develop. Rapid advantages in research on the embryonic stem cells derived from human embryos have collided with opposing views regarding the morality of using human embryos for these purposes. Seeing that there are laws on almost everything, there are laws on stem cells as well. These laws have been a big source of controversy and they vary by country. In Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Greece, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands, stem cell research using the human embryo is permitted in these countries. While in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Italy and Portugal, it is illegal.…
The CBHD in the same article asserts that “...some evidence suggests that stem cells cultured in the laboratory may have a tendency to recongregate and form an aggregate of cells capable of begining to develop as an embryo...If embryonic stem cells do indeed possess the ability to form or develop as a human embryo, research on such stem cells could itself involve the creation and/or destruction of human life...”(100). Thus, despite of these evidences, condoning human embryonic stem cell research would be irresponsibility. Besides, in order to determine significance of stem cell research, Goldstein asserts in his article “Providing Hope Through Stem Cell Research” that “...the grim arithmetic of most organ transplants is that those who are seriously ill wait for the tragic accidental death of another person so that they may live.”(82). From this point, stem cell is an incredible discovery yet it is unethical. However, in order not to use human embryos to harvest stem cells, the CBHD submits alternative methods and adds that “ ... a promising source of more mature stem cells for the treatment of disease is hematopoietic (blood cell- producing) stem cells from bone marrow or even from the placenta or umbilical cord blood in live births.”(100). Moreover, the CBHD also argues that “These cells are already widely…
The first task of dissecting this debate is to differentiate between the two types of stem cell research. The first is adult (also called somatic or germ-line) stem cell research and is generally accepted and endorsed by all groups. Taken from human bone marrow or other deep tissues, this type of research has already been used for years in the treatment of many diseases, most notably Leukemia. Even the Catholic Church supports adult stem cell research, going so far as to partner with certain groups to further adult stem cell research funding. The disagreement lies in embryonic stem cell research. In embryonic stem cell research, a human embryo is created and then destroyed in order to obtain the intended stem cells. The circumstances which make the embryonic cells more desirable are two-fold. First, technology for embryonic stem cell research is currently farther along than somatic cell research; and therefore, it is cheaper. The more important distinction is in the quality of the cells collected. Adult…
Every day millions of Americans across the country suffer from ailments ranging from diabetes to spinal cord injuries. However, new scientific advancements in the field of stem cell research may one day end their pain and suffering. Therefore, it is essential for Americans to support stem cell research. Unfortunately, the research has become the center of a controversy in recent years. Opponents of the research argue against the destruction of a human embryo. Proponents of the research support it because of the promise that the tiny cells show. Scientists have already coaxed the cells into forming several different tissues and even entire organisms and with continued research they may one day be able to cure a myriad of diseases.…
As the name suggests, embryonic stem cells are located in the embryo and can rebuild themselves into the same cell. These cells are undifferentiated meaning they can be used in all parts of the body which could potentially cure blood and immune system diseases, cancer, spinal cord injury and copious amount of other diseases. One of the main disadvantages with using embryonic stem cells for research is that human embryos are destroyed during the process of gathering the cells. This causes many people to believe that this is unethical because it is destroying a human…
One of the biggest political debates of recent times is whether the government should not only allow, but appropriate funds for the research of all types of stem cells mainly the embryonic stem cell. A stem cell is a primitive type of cell that can be manipulated into developing into most of the cells present in the body. Scientists believe that the stem cell is the single most important element in the cure of many diseases, which include heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and some types of cancer. Stem cells can be extracted from both adults and young embryos. The differences of an embryonic stem cell and an adult stem cell in most peoples eyes are that cells can be extracted from adults for research without harm to adult, but those extracted from embryos are the result of the destruction of the embryo. Scientists believe that although adult stem cells can be helpful in the research in disease, those cells are inferior to those of a human embryo because the embryonic stem cell can developing in almost all the types of cells in the body, but the adult variety is limited in how many cells it can develop into. The Coalition for the advancement of Medical Research estimates, " stem cell research shows promise to develop cures and/or new treatments for 100 million Americans who currently suffer from a wide variety of diseases and disorders."…
There is now one primary issue concerning stem cell research, with both pros and cons. The issue is really not about the stem cell research itself, but about how the knowledge might be used. Stem cell research has the potential to treat a wide range of medical problems. It could possibly lead humanity closer to more effective treatment methods, and possibly cure a number of debilitating diseases and ailments, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, birth defects, spinal cord injuries, heart diseases, strokes and diabetes (type 1). Improved treatment for diseases and injuries such as these could give sizeable social benefits for individuals and significant economic gains for society as a whole. Detractors of this type of research say that "We should not interfere with human life," and "Humans have no right trying to play God." There are even some who argue that stem cell research may lead to cloning humans in the future. It is difficult to predict with any…
Few recent scientific issues have stimulated so much media attention, public debate and government involvement as that of stem cell research. Stem cells offer people hope by promising to greatly extend the number and range of patients who could benefit from transplants, and to provide novel therapies to treat debilitating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, Huntington's, heart disease and stroke, as well as accidental damage such as spinal cord injury. So why would anyone object to research in this area? The problem is simply that a particular type of stem cell, which potentially could provide many cell types for a wide range of therapeutic uses, is obtained from the very early embryo. To make matters even more contentious, the same cloning technology that gave Dolly the sheep could in theory be used to tailor stem cells to the patient. Some people worry that we are taking research too far down paths that make them feel uncomfortable, others think it is downright immoral and against their deep-held, often religious, beliefs. But what are the scientific issues and why do many of us feel equally passionate that the research should be allowed?…
The topic of embryonic stem cells is one of large controversy. There are many different…
One reason many people don’t agree with embryonic stem cell research is that they believe that scientists use embryos that have started to develop into babies. This is a myth (UMichigan). Scientists fertilize an egg in a dish, and use it 5 days after the fertilization when the embryo only contains about 100 cells, none of which are specialized (UMichigan). The embryo is no larger than a period at the end of a sentence (UMichigan). This embryo, although beginning to form, has no heart, no spine, no limbs, and no systems (UMichigan). If this was known by more people, then many people may change their minds about stem cell research.…
There are two primary types of stem cells. One type, embryonic, uses the cells from an early human embryo to create new, specialized types of cells. Embryonic stem cells are used for cell based therapies because they can develop into over 220 cell types found in adult, they have the capacity to reproduce in large numbers. They are capable of almost unlimited cell divisions when placed in culture. This makes them extremely versatile. Using stem cells to gain knowledge of how these cells differentiate, grow, and renew will provide breakthrough results in the study and cure of cancers, diabetes, birth defects, spinal cord injuries, and other diseases caused by dysfunctional cell replication. Embryonic stem cell research can improve drug safety, as a drug can be tested on a group of stem cells before being used on a patient. The embryonic stem cells are extracted from the inner cell mass during the early phase of blastocyst during embryonic development. After an egg is fertilized, generally during in vitro in a laboratory setting, it starts dividing. The blastocyst is a hollow ball of about 150 cells. The inner cell mass are the cells located in the inner part of the ball, once extracted, the embryo is no longer viable or living . Hence, the arising controversy surrounding the destruction of the…
Among scientific research it is true that adult stem cells have successfully treated certain diseases and illness in clinical trials; nevertheless, scientific innovations in the medical field is crucial to the ever-growing understanding of the human body. Adult stem cells do not pose such a grand ethical dilemma as much as embryonic stem cells do and is part of the reason why researchers choose not to look into the matter any further. The fear of uncertainty has limited the progression of science by the growing debate of what is morally wrong and…