Stem Cell Essay

Stem Cell research and its funding have caused a lot of controversy throughout the past years. Stem cells are cells that are present in all living organisms. These cells have the potential to grow into any type of cell, including blood cells, nerves, muscles, and pancreatic cells. Stem cell research is essential because of the beneficial aspects it has to offer. Stem cells could potentially treat conditions such as Alzheimer 's, Parkinson 's, birth defects, strokes, Diabetes, cancer, and help in the reconstruction of severely damaged organs. Although stem cell research withholds great potential for many medical advances, a lot of controversy surrounds the sources and methods of obtaining stem cells and the possibility of improper usage of the knowledge acquired from research and experimentation. It is necessary for scientist to continue research as well as recognizing any ethical issues that may be present.

Others develop into muscle cells that can contract and also into nerve cells. Because they have the potential to become such a wide variety of specialized cells, embryonic stem cells are described as pluripotent. Plurip.0otency is one of two key features of embryonic stem cells. The second key feature of embryonic stem cells is their ability to divide or self renew for an indefinite period while retaining their undifferentiated, pluripotent state. As the cell mass grows, the population can be further expanded by growing in larger tissue culture flasks. An unlimited number of undifferentiated, pluripotent stem cells can be produced (Sumanas Inc. 2007).

Pluripotent stem cells are just like Totipotent cells, but they can only become cell derived from the three germ layers, which contain over 200 specialized cells. Multipotent stem cells can only become blood cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Unipotent stem cells can only transform into one type of tissue or specialized cell, but it can divide over and over again (Wikipedia). These embryonic stem cells can divide again and again through mitosis (a type of cell division in all body parts except reproductive parts). Medical specialists and leading scientists conclude, that these cells could help cure as many as seventy-three diseases, which up to now were thought incurable (NIH).

Medical science has improved exponentially since the 1980’s, when research on stem cells gained interest. Stem cells, found in embryos, blood, bone marrow, and adipose tissue, are undifferentiated, meaning they can change themselves and become more specialized cells. In 1998, a method to derive and grow stem cells in a laboratory from human embryos was discovered, and since then, it has been one of the most debated areas of medical study. Those who oppose research on stem cells argue that experimentation on human embryos and reproductive cloning in any form, such as in Huxley’s Brave New World, is unethical, and often reference the lack of results from said experiments. However, a more realistic view is that stem cell research is an important field of medical science, and while significant advancements have been surely made, more breakthroughs in this field can lead to considerable societal improvements and benefit thousands of patients globally.

Stem cells have become a subject of much interest and debate in politics, the scientific

“How can the use of stem cells be so controversial?”, one may ask. If the stem cells are donated out of free will or were going to be destroyed anyway, how can putting them to better use be controversial? Sure, a potential life must be destroyed to save a life, but only before one can tell that it is a human. Should the use of stem cells for medical research and use be regulated? These questions and more will be discussed and pondered throughout this paper.

Embryonic stem cell research is a very controversial topic in today’s world. A stem cell is

Tissue specific stem cells can create different cells for different organs and are obtained from different organs and tissues. Embryonic stem cells can increase every cell type in an adult body and are obtained from the blastocyst, a ball of cells formed a couple of days after an egg cell is fertilized. Mesenchymal stem cells are typically obtained from bone marrow and can produce bone and fat cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells are made in a science lab by changing tissue specific cells into embryonic cells and they help scientists research normal development.

Embryonic Stem cells have led to a very long line of discussion. Whether to see it as immoral not to pursue research or immoral to pursue research, it is nonetheless very difficult to discuss. Questions are uncovered during this debate, for example, Is killing possible life (Embryos) lesser or greater than saving the already living, such as people with incurable diseases? The debate goes deeper and deeper into moral judgment and it doesn't matter whether you are religious or not in this argument because in both cases it is a life. But what if it didn't have to be a life? Further forms of research may be used to help save lives both from people who have incurable diseases and the embryos. If such research can be formed without a moral block, performance of such research should not be delayed. The possibility to save loved ones is incredible, to do so without victimizing women for embryos and killing those embryos, which could possibly behold life, only to maybe

Stem cell research is extremely prevalent in today’s society, and on the other hand controversial. When thinking of stem cell research many questions, and challenges arise from it. Some problems that arise from the topic of stem cell research involves, religious beliefs, personal, and ethical beliefs. In the next few paragraphs the facts of stem cell research will be mentioned, and questions will be answered with factual evidence.

While few can debate the potential “miracle cure” aspect that seems to be wrapped within stem cell research, the method for obtaining such cells has been a topic for debate. The process of extracting pluripotent cells destroys their host embryo, and as yet, no pluripotent cells have been found in older adult tissues. Opponents of research on embryonic cells claim that embryos – from the moment that fertilization occurs – are sentient human beings and should therefore be afforded the same protections against abuse as anyone else (“The Cases For”). But what if a method were readily available were viable stem cells could be extracted from an embryo in a manner that would not deny life – however such life were defined – to the unborn fetus? What if such a potential solution could ease the minds of not only those who oppose stem cell research but also help to quell the dispute of another “Do Not Kill” issue – abortion?

Contrarily, supporters of embryonic stem cell research argue that such research should be pursued because the resultant treatments could have significant medical potential. In addition, leftover embryos could be given with permission and

The process of stem cell cultivation involves several steps. Step one, In vitro fertilized egg, made in an artificial environment outside of a living organism. Step two, Blastocyst stage, 5 to 7 days after egg is fertilized the cells are beginning to multiply. Step three, inner stem cell mass, and removal of

Many individuals believe that the beginning of stem cell research began in the early 2000s. However, the history of stem cell research can be traced back to the mid 1800s, when the make-up of human life, known as cells, were discovered (Solter 2006). Without this discovery, stem cell research would cease to exist. Prior to what has become known as stem cell research, scientists began studying embryonic stem cells using mouse embryos in 1981, which makes stem cell research a fairly new topic of interest. It is through this research on mice that has given scientists the ability to collect stem cells

Stem cell research has been around for almost 200 years, but the research done has only skimmed the possibilities that there is with stem cells.