Stem Cell Discussion Board Assignment

.docx

School

Florida Atlantic University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

2045

Subject

Biology

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by PresidentTarsier3519

BioPrinciples Lab Exercise 12 Stem Cells/Planarians PowerPoint Presentation, debate, and planarian exercise (in-class) 1. Present the PowerPoint to give students a background on stem cells and current research. 2. Planarian activity Debate: Online Students will engage in an online debate using the same stakeholder characters. They can earn 6 points for a detailed initial post and 4 points for a well-thought-out response to another character. Here is an example of how your discussion post may look to enhance participation. “You will be engaging in a debate about the use of embryonic stem cells for science and medicine. Embryonic stem cells are considered controversial because they prevent a blastocyst from developing into a fetus. In 2001, President George W. Bush signed an executive order that barred the United States Institutes of Health from funding ESC research that used any newly developed ESC lines developed beyond what had existed at or prior to 2001. In 2009, President Barack H. Obama signed an executive order that repealed this policy. Select a character from the "Stem Cell Stakeholder Assignment" file attached. Read your character's story and then respond to the statements below the story as though you were that person by selecting Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. Answer the following questions in your discussion post: 1) Why are embryonic stem cells (ESC) considered controversial? As human embryos, which are often taken from in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics, are used to create embryonic stem cells, this practice is seen as controversial. In order to acquire stem cells from the embryos, which are often unused embryos made for reproduction, the embryo must be destroyed, which some people feel is unethical. 2) Which character did you choose? I chose moderate Christian 3) Which statements did your character "strongly agree" with? the embryo at the blastocyst stage is a human being and should be considered equal to a fully formed human being.

The embryo is a potential human being and therefore we should treat it with more respect than we would treat a mere cluster of cells but not give it the full rights of a fully formed human. 4) Which statements did your character "strongly disagree" with? An embryo at the blastocyst stage is a cluster of cells and is not significantly human. It is acceptable to create embryos for the sole purpose of using them in embryonic cell research It is acceptable to use either public or private funds for embryonic stem cell research It is acceptable to use only private funds for embryonic stem cell research It is acceptable to use public (govern/taxpayer) funds for embryonic stem cell research It is acceptable to use excess embryos created during the IVF process, with the informed consent of the donors, for embryonic stem cell research. It is preferable to use ‘patient-specific stem cells’ created by somatic cell nuclear transfer (therapeutic cloning) instead of IVF embryos for making stem cell lines since patient-specific stem cells were never intended to create a human but fertilized eggs were. 5) While reading the statements, did you have any strong reactions to any of the statements? Which ones were they and why do you think this is? Yes, reading the first statement about how the embryo at the blastocyst stage is just a cluster of cells surprised me because the word cell means the basic unit of life and that would mean they are alive and just need time to grow to be human. They came from a human so why wouldn’t they be considered human from the start? If they weren’t alive then they would be just a cluster of nothing. 6) If you or your family member were offered treatment using ESC for a medical diagnosis, would you utilize it? Why or why not? No, I would not utilize ESC for a medical diagnosis because it would be against what I stand for as a human and as a pro-life activist. I also know there are other treatments that I can utilize as well. 7) Read and reply to a post by one other character as though you were your own character. Only consider their answers to questions 1-4 because questions 5-6 are their personal opinions. Keep in mind that we are not attacking each other's views but rather practicing debate among fictional characters . The person commenting may not hold the same viewpoints as the character they chose. If you post early, you may have to go back later to read through the posts. Stem Cell Stakeholder Assignment.pdf (attach to discussion post)” Here is an example of how this activity looked in the past: Sample Discussion Responses from Students

Student A: “ 1) Why are embryonic stem cells (ESC) considered controversial? Embryonic stem cells (ESC) and considered rather controversial, especially among individuals with either conservative or liberal views, as there is active debate on whether or not preventing a blastocyst into developing into a fetus is morally correct. To some, the embryo is seen as essentially a human being, or a potential human being, meaning it has human rights. Meanwhile, others view an embryo as nothing more than a cluster of cells that is not comparable to a human life. These stark differences between the 2 opposing views creates large ethical controversy over ESCs. 2) Which character did you choose? I chose the role of John Kerry, a liberal citizen/taxpayer. 3) Which statements did your character "strongly agree" with? My character "strongly agreed" with the statements that regard the embryo at the blastocyst stage as a cluster of cells with no human rights, as well as the statements that are for public and private funding of embryotic stem cell research. Additionally, my character is for the progression of stem cell research through the use of human embryos, whether they be donated, hav ebeen in excess, or from other human sources 4) Which statements did your character "strongly disagree" with? My character disagreed with the statements that described embryos at the blastocyst stage as a huma, being, or that the cells had human rights. He further strognly disagreed with the statement that suggested only private funds could go to stem cell research, an dthe idea that it is preferable to only use 'patient-specifc stem cells', as my character does not believe that there is anything morally wrong with using embryos to further stem cell research. 5) While reading the statements, did you have any strong reactions to any of the statements? Which ones were they and why do you think this is? The idea of an embryo in the blastocyst stage being a human, or having human rights, is a notion that I strongly disagree with. The way I see it, a blastocyst is an accumulation of cells, and in that stage, it is not comparable to human life or the morals regarding human righst at all 6) If you or your family member were offered treatment using ESC for a medical diagnosis, would you utilize it? Why or why not? I would definitely utilize it, as based on what I've learned and heard, it appears that ESCs have incrediblepotential to help cure disasterous diseases. Based on my knowledge of ESCs, I believe treatment through the use of them would present very positive and healthy results, so if offered, treatment using ESC for a medical diagnosis would be approved by me.” Responses to Student A: Student B:

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version