Embryonic Stem Cells Informative Essay

There are two different types of stem cells; unlimited and limited. Unlimited stem cells come from embryos and are referred to as embryonic stem cells (ES Cells), these cells are more medically valuable than limited stem cells. They are referred to as unlimited stem cells because they have the ability to develop into any type of cell of tissue in the human body. Limited stem cells come from adult bone marrow or umbilical cord blood cells. Limited stem cells are more rare because they are harder to obtain and can only be found in some developed

Stem cells are a special group of cells found in all multicellular organisms. What makes them unique and different from other cells is the fact that they are unspecialized and have the potential to differentiate into diverse cell types while still maintaining the ability to replenish themselves. Generally, these cells are divided into 2 broad categories – the embryonic stem cells that are derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst and the adult stem cells that are harvested from the bone marrow, umbilical cord blood or the adipose tissue of an adult.

Although many people argue that the usage of embryonic stem cells is immoral, they are thought to have much greater developmental potential than adult stem cells (nih.gov 2009). While stem cells are not taken from an embryo and are

What is a stem cell? A stem cell is an unspecialized cell, meaning it is not a heart, brain, or any other type of cell that has a special purpose,

A stem cell is defined as a cell that can change into a different type of cell. Stem cells are different from other cells because from the start they do not have specialized functions. Embryonic stem cells are found within the blastocyst (embryo), which is just a tiny package of

Stem cells are a type of cell that basically always divide in order to replace other cells in the body. They are different from normal cells because once they have first divided into a new stem cell, they can become another type of cell, such as a muscle cell or blood cell, tissue, or they can continue being a stem cell. They also can remain inactive for a period of time, yet they can still divide into new cells whenever they are needed.

Unfortunately, embryonic stem cell research involves extracting stem cells from embryos, thus killing them in the process. According to Stanford.edu, “Opponents of HESC [Human Embryonic Stem Cell] research argue that the research is morally impermissible because it involves the unjust killing of innocent human beings.” Yes, these embryos are dying from the extraction of their stem cells, but the fact of whether or not this is killing innocent human beings solely depends on point of view. If you consider a five-day old embryo to be a human being, then perhaps you would consider this to be wrong, but you believe otherwise, then maybe you would agree with the sacrificing of these embryos for beneficial research. This is how embryonic stem cell research has been very controversial in prior years and even

In 1981, Scientists found a way to extract embryonic stem cells from mouse embryos. Years later, in 1998, a method to extract stem cells from human embryos and grow the cells in the laboratory was discovered. The main purpose was to use the cell's ability to regenerative as a method of treating diseases. As time went by, people started to oppose the idea of using embryonic stem cell for research. So, funding that helped continue research on embryos started to decrease. This conclusion came from some people considering that embryonic stem cells research was similar to killing babies. Others thought that research on adult stem cells was less controversial than research on embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cell research leads to the

Adult stem cells, like embryonic stem cells, have the ability to differentiate into several more specialized cell types, but the potential number of cell types is far smaller than that of an embryonic stem cell. Embryonic stem cells, by nature, eventually turn into every type of cell in the body, whereas adult stem cells will only turn into a few cell types. For example, a blood stem cell, one type of adult stem cell, will eventually turn into one of eight types of specialized blood cells (Jordan 116.3).

Growing up in a Catholic home, where we attend weekly Mass, confession often, and observe holy days of obligation, I have learned and been taught what the Catholic Church believes is right. As I continue to grow older, I believe that the Catholic Church is correct on all of the “hot” issues: abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, etc. The topic of embryonic stem cell research is a difficult issue to take sides on. On the positive side, this research can lead to medical advances and being able to cure diseases that we would otherwise not have been able to. On the negative side, by using embryonic stem cells, we are killing living organisms, to be more specific, human beings. The Catholic Church “appreciates and encourages the progress of the biomedical sciences which open up unprecedented therapeutic prospects.” However, the Catholic Church also believes that all human life deserves our utmost respect (Embryonic Stem Cell). Well then what do we do? Personally, I believe embryonic stem cell

The ability to manipulate the stem cell corresponding to a specific organ/tissue remains important. A type of stem cell that can be manipulated is the embryonic stem cell. These stem cells descend from embryos aging from three to five days (Watt) (Driskell). During earlier stages, scientists describe embryonic stem cells as “blastocysts” which contain over one-hundred and fifty cells (Watt) (Driskell). They duplicate into more cells or transform to any cell located in the body (Watt) (Driskell). This “duplication” allows embryonic stem cells to regenerate and repair diseased tissues. Embryonic stem cells gain importance in cancer treatments—if doctors diagnose patients with leukemia, then during chemotherapy, the doctor can infuse embryonic stem cells into the body. Since the cells are young, they can repair the targeted cell, aiding cancer treatments and the patient. In addition, this technique is used with another type of embryonic stem cell called “pluripotent stem cells”. Pluripotent stem cells originate as inner mast cells (cells

Stem cells are special cells that have the ability to regenerate and repair damaged tissue. Embryonic stem cells appear to possess the ability to become almost any tissue within the body. This, in theory, means that a cell could be taken from one section of an embryo that may have become a part

There are a few different kinds of stem cells. These different type of stem cells depends on where it came from. As of now, there are only a couple sources for stem cell’s. The first kind of stem cells are adult stem cell. These adult stem cells can be obtained from specialized tissue in both children and adults. Since these cells are older, they are further along in the differentiation process, meaning they can only change into a few types of cells instead of the 200 that comes with embryonic stem cells. This is also called being pluripotent. (Miller

Stem cells can come from an embryo or an adult cell, and thus there are two types of stem cells: embryonic and adult stem cells. Both types are able to undergo cellular division for a longer period of time than other cell types, and are capable of developing into a specialized cell. They are able to develop

Stems cells are immature cells found in embryos that can develop into any kind of specialized cells. They can form virtually any cell of the human body. These types of stem cells are known as pluripotent cells. Multipotent cells are stem cells that are more mature; they can be found in adults and children. Multipotent cells are not as flexible as pluripotent cells, as they have already developed into more specialized human cells.