Erika Ramos
Mrs. DeCarvalho
English 10
17 April 2015
The Benefits of Stem Cells
Stem cell research holds the cures and treatments for most of the major diseases in the world. Many people of all ages with major and deadly diseases may be benefited by stem cell research. Other people have been fortunate enough to have had the benefits of it already. There are two types of cells, which are embryonic and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can become any type of cell, for example, blood, brain tissue, and skin cells. Many people may not be supportive of this research because of cloning fears. Other people do not support it because of the use of aborted embryos for research. Stem cells will save many people’s lives all over the world. Stem
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They think that by ending an embryo’s life, that you are ending an actual living human life. A human embryo is an unborn baby in the process of development. In order for a human embryo to be used for stem cell research, it would have to be aborted within 4-5 days after fertilization (Mummery). “The fertilized egg has no beating heart, no brain, and no consciousness. It is not aware, it cannot think, and it cannot sense anything, including pleasure or pain. It is just two cells, the egg and sperm that have joined into one”(Is the Killing (Abortion) of Human Embryos Always Murder). Many scientists contradict that embryos are human life because an embryo does not have a heartbeat, and no human physique when aborted. The embryo at the point of abortion is nothing like a human, and has nothing that a born human being has. People usually believe that abortion of a human embryo is a negative thing because of religious beliefs. People are afraid that by ending an embryo’s life, that we could be causing them pain, but there is no way that at the point in which they are aborted to have pain sensors, or nerves that send pain signals to the …show more content…
On September 2013, the creation of cerebral organoids was achieved. Cerebral organoids are very small samples of brain tissue (Young). The creation of brain tissue with stem cells will provide the treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and Dementia. These treatments may not cure the disease completely, but it could stop the disease from getting worse. It could also take away some of the damage already done. “Anything that might reasonably be called a real brain is going to have to pass more tests than simply being made of brain cells and looking a bit like a brain under a microscope” (Coath). This achievement of brain tissue organs can help researchers explore important questions about brain functions, Parkinson’s, and any other brain disease. Parkinson’s disease is a brain disease that causes for people to not have enough dopamine. Stephen Hawking also agrees with this statement. “Stem cell research is the key to developing cures for degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease from which I and many others suffer” (Hawking). With Parkinson’s, there is not enough dopamine produced, and messages are not properly sent to the parts of the brain that control movement and some forms of thinking. This disease targets and kills dopamine-producing nerve cells, or neurons. Scientists do not know what causes this disease, but they do know which cells are involved.
STEM cell research according to scientists might be the key to saving lives due to organ failure, brain damage or even heart problems. The idea is stem cells provided by fetuses that have been aborted typically
Stem cells are basically the building blocks of life. Some type of these cells can be engineered into any type of cell in the human body. There are three types of stem cells currently. Adult or somatic stem “cells can generate replacements for bone and muscle cells that are lost through injury, disease or normal wear and tear.” Another type of stem cells are embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells “are “starter cells” that can be coaxed into becoming any of the specialized cells of the body, meaning they are “pluripotent.” The final type of stem cells are induced-pluripotent stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells “are adult stem cells that have been genetically altered to behave like embryonic stem cells”(National Institute of Health). Due to the advancement in medical technology scientists and doctors alike are now able to use stem cells for a variety of reasons like research and also in patient care. The benefits of this research can lead to the cure of diseases like diabetes, some cancers, and even neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s Disease and spinal cord injuries. The controversy behind stem cells lie from where these stem cells come from. The source of stem cells are plentiful. Some stem cells can come from human embryos that are a few days old. Stem cells can also be engineered in a laboratory setting using the cells from human embryos. Also there are certain stem cells that can be harvested from adults and
A brief introduction to stem cells; Stem cells are cells that are undifferentiated, or, simply put, a cell that has not yet been given a job, such as cells that create molecules. In recent years, scientists have discovered the potency that stem cells contain, due to their versatility. For example, stem cells could be studied and used to cure a man of liver disease, a child’s handicap, a woman’s breast cancer, etc…, etc…. One may now be asking themselves? “That’s great… then why are so many people against stem cell research? What could possibly be the drawback? “. You see, stem cells are acquired by human embryos, or, in Layman’s Terms, unborn fetuses. Take for
Stem cells are tiny little balls of cells which are undifferentiated cells that can separate into particular cell sorts. Scientists and researchers focus on two main types of stem cells; Adult stem cells which come from the brain, spinal cord and most parts of the body and embryonic stem cells which are cells that are extracted from embryos. Researching on stem cells show that they could potentially save millions of lives by enabling scientists to develop ways to treat and cure some of the most degenerative conditions. So why not use them?
A stem cell is a cell in the body that can differentiate into almost any other type of cell in the body. Stem cells come from sites in the bone marrow, as well as the tissues of developing fetuses. The most controversial issue in stem cell therapy is the use of fetuses for their stem cells. Scientists want to clone human embryos, and use the stem cells long before the embryo matures (when it is only about 36 cells). This causes a large amount of unease in society, because people fear that stem cells and therapeutic cloning will lead us into disgusting and horrible experimental practices, as well as therapies. Most people in America do not want this horrible vision of the future to come
Embryonic Stem Cells are the future of curing life threatening diseases. Research on Embryonic Stem Cells could be the future of medicine. If more funding and availability of embryonic stem cells was provided for research advancements could be made faster and more lives could be saved. Stem cells are cells that do not have a designated purpose when they are created. Stem cells are able to reproduce and divide for long periods of time. Stem cells can repair and regenerate organs and tissues in ways no other cells can. Embryonic stem cells are stem cells that come from embryos and have no designated purpose. Adult stem cells are stem cells that are produced in organs and tissues with a primary purpose of repair the organ or tissue it was
But in reality, they are not truly thinking about what they are doing. Most people think that an embryo is nothing but a group of cells. They think there is no life in the womb, so there is no problem taking the cells there. So in their minds, there is no reason to not take them if the mother is willing. And the ones who would say there is life in the womb think that too much good is happening because of it, so its alright to continue doing it. That is a classic example of utilitarian thinking. Utilitarian thinking is when the end product is good the the way you got there is justified. You help and cure many people so killing a baby is justified. That is their thought
Stem cell research is a medical advancement that many view as either morally wrong or a stepping stone to better medical treatments. Stem cells are defined by the National Institutes of Health as “cells that have the potential to develop into some or many different cell types in the body [and] can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells for as long as the person or animal is still alive.” There are two main types of stem cells, embryonic and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are the main reason behind the controversy surrounding stem cell research due to the fact that they come from aborted human embryos. Considering cells are the building blocks of life and are responsible for creating all of our bones and organs,
In October 2014, a study showed that stem cells could help people with macular degeneration, which is a disease that causes continuous loss of sight. Researchers followed eighteen patients for three years and saw no signals of rejection of the transplanted stem cells (Young). Stem cells can also be used to create brain tissue. The creation of brain tissue with stem cells will provide the treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and Dementia. These treatments may not cure the disease completely, but it could stop the progression of the disease. It could also reverse some of the damage already done. “Anything that might reasonably be called a real brain is going to have to pass more tests than simply being made of brain cells and looking a bit like a brain under a microscope”(Coath 4). “Any technique that gives us ‘something like a brain’ that we can modify, work on, and watch as it develops has to be exciting”(Coath 4). On September 2013, the creation of cerebral organoids was achieved. Cerebral organoids are pea-sized brain tissue. This achievement of brain tissue organs can help researchers explore important questions about brain development and brain functions. All this research and new developments on stem cells gets researchers a little closer every time to actually finding the cure for a brain
For starters stem cells are able to self-renew infinitely, allowing them to be harvested in the future with correct methods not yet available in these times, this processes known as proliferation. They have two more key unique traits one being their ability to differentiate into other cells that are specialised with functions and characteristics another trait is stem cells being so unspecialized which gives them the ability to emerge as highly specialised cells. Under circumstances involving physiologic or experimental conditions stem cells have the ability to become tissue or even cells specific to certain organs around the body. Stem cells have a very high potential to diminish many diseases or conditions that haunt many places and many people around the world. Studies have shown that stem cells could hold the key to understanding cancer and hopefully a way to target it and kill the cancer cells or prevent them from occurring in the first place. Cancer occurs when stem cell division does not occur as it is supposed to. Certain cancer types can already be eradicated by the use of stem cell treatments, even some diseases can be fought with them. If stem cell treatments are improved they could very much be the future of medical technology.
Stem cells are great for creating more cells for those who don't have the recomended cells. People can donate bone marrow for stem cell research or donate eggs and sperm for more research about us humans. A lot of stem cell research is very
Usually most people don’t think about things such as stem cells or embryos being used in scientific research; however, embryonic stem cells have showed they are useful because they have the ability to create any cell type in the human body. In contrast to the embryonic stem cells adult stem cells are more specialized; which makes embryonic cells more useful for a wider range of research. Stem cells are also able to be genetically modified to target specific genes that have diseases: such as, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, heart injuries and even conditions like autism are just a few examples. Although stem cells are already seen as a great scientific advancement, with genetically modified cells a new treatment for cancer may have been discovered.
Stem cells research is one of the most powerful areas of medicine that is both researched and passionately argued. The web page of National Institute of Health (NIH) describes that stem cells are unspecialized cells that are capable of renewing themselves through cell division and they can also be induced to become tissue or organ-specific cells with special functions. Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. Many individuals believe that there are ethical concerns with stem cell research because they come from destruction of perfectly good embryo however stem cells can be used for cell-based therapies, heart
Do you know someone in your life who is suffering from a disease with no cure, like Parkinson’s disease? Imagine a world where when people got old they didn’t need to worry about Parkinson’s disease, or a world where mothers and fathers didn’t have to live in fear of their child developing Tay-Sachs disease or cystic fibrosis, diseases where their child could die before the age of four. Stem cells that are in our bodies, and that we can take from our bodies can be used to prevent all of this, with proper research. Stem cells are cells that can be taken from the body, and they are the building blocks of the human body. These cells can be turned into any cell in the body, and they would be a perfect match for the person receiving the treatments.
Stem cells are cells that are found throughout the human body. They reproduce over a long period of time without changing. Stem cells can produce specialized cells, such as brain, muscle or lung cells. Stem cells in the last few years have recently made a big debut because medical professionals have discovered so many unique qualities to stem cells. They are on the cutting edge of medicine because of all their uses and the qualities that make them so unique from any other cell in the body. Stem cells have the power to make so many breakthroughs in the medical world. Medical researchers have all ready found so many ways that stem cells can be used for the better of so many people. Genes play an important role in determining what genetic traits or mutations we receive. Researching stem cells can help determine this. Stem cell research is useful for learning many things about human development and about how the body has the power to repair itself. Researchers are finding new ways each day that stem cells can be used and the possibilities that they find for stem cells could be endless. A few ways they can be used to treat diseases, be used as graphs for burn victims or surgical use, and even to correct birth defects. The pros of stem cells are limitless.