Essay on Stem Cell Research

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,

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-cell research is a complex subject. First of all you need to know there are three main categories of stem cells. Embryonic, Fetal and Adult; not everyone is for or against all of these types. There are different sets on pros and cons to each of these types and I will address a few for each type. I believe the pros outweigh the cons in each of these and stem cell research is very beneficial for medical purposes.

Firstly, the use of embryonic stem cells, which that are advocated as the best stem cells to used due partly to their ease of regeneration and freedom from disease, often results in the killing of an embryo. As this denying an upcoming human being the right to life, many ethical questions have been raised. Stem cells, especially adult stem cells, cannot be grown in a culture for a long period, and they often pose a challenge as it is difficult to distinguish them from others. Also, there is no current technology on how to produce stem cells in large quantities. These drawbacks have posed challenges regarding how large-scale production can be achieved for medical purposes. Stem cell transplants sometimes become impossible, as there is no current process in the human body that can bring about their regeneration. These cells may result in tumors if used recklessly from undistinguished cultures. Adult stem cells also may pose big challenges regarding compatibility, especially when cells derived from one person are used in another. Another point is that the cells may lead to genetic problems that may affect the recipient negatively. In addition, the cells lack a method of reproducibility and maintenance, which often pars their multiplication. Finally, those found in cultures sometimes age and

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stem cells are 1 "Cells with the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells." Stem cells are basically unspecialized cells that can, with proper physiologic or experimental conditions, become specialized cells. Specialized cells are usually called differentiated cells. These differentiated cells can then be used to repair damaged cells and eventually cure many diseases and disorders in humans. This could revolutionize the way society treats health issues. Instead of trying to destroy and sure a disease or disorder, doctors could simply grow new cells that would be able to repair or replace the damaged cells and tissue.

topics of all time, can be viewed as either a positive or negative step to a better tomorrow. A

With recent advances in science and medicine, researchers across the world have been applying discoveries to the betterment of ailments which has brought forth much optimism for a better human life. Advancements in stem cells, more particularly, has been on the forefront of a mass of said advances. This research, although controversial, has sparked ideas of what can be done to save patients from demise from issues surrounding organ transplants. It is noted that “the stem cell field has grown very rapidly over the past decade, and continues to be one of the most exciting aspects of biomedical research…with an astonishing annual growth rate of 77% since 2008 (El-Hashash, 4).”

When one thinks of fatal diseases, what comes to mind? Cancer? Organ failure? Brain damage? All of those things and more could be a thing of the past with the incredible potential of stem cell research. Stem cells are like blank cells that can take the form of other kinds of cells. This gives them the ability to heal damaged areas, or grow replacement tissue for tissue that has been diseased. Stem cells can come from several different places, some of which cause lots of controversy and ethical debate. Because of this, stem cell research is not federally funded by the United States government. But, stem cell research has tons of potential and should get more attention for the greater good of our future.

Stem cells are essential for all living organism for many reasons. Without stem cells the human body is incapable of living. According to University of Nebraska Medical Center, “In the 3- to 5-day-old embryo, called a blastocyst, the inner cells give rise to the entire body of the organism, including all of the many specialized cell types and organs such as the heart, lung, skin, sperm, eggs and other tissues”. Stem cells are mother cells that have the potential to become any type of cell in the body. One of the main characteristics of stem cells is their ability to self- renew or multiply while maintaining the potential to develop into other types of cells. In other words stem cells can develop into any type of cells. Clinical research regarding

Adult stem cells are present in bone marrow, blood, liver, umbilical cord and so on. Scientists still tries to preview what kind of adult cell, a specific stem cell will become. It is known of its replication capability, but it is unknown what their limitations as transplants and for genetic diseases. In other words, it will take longer research efforts and long-term investments until an effective therapy with these cells present results. But when it comes to scientific research, any new fact, any new discovery can completely alter the current situation, and many steps can be overcome in a short time.

Stem cell research has become an important part of medical research in the past few years. Embryonic stem cell research is controversial because of the blurred lines in the moral viewpoints of many people. These embryonic stem cells are pure and are easily manipulated to fit any type of cell needed. This is useful in the testing of new drugs and treatments of permanent or incurable diseases such as ALS and MS. Adult stem cells are also useful in research, but they are already specialized which makes them only useful for the type of cell they come from.

Despite the ongoing argument that has been made from the usage of embryonic stem cells, science has determined that the uses of these stem cells can decide life or death for some people with conflicts that can be solved by stem cells. Ethical principles aside, both embryonic and adult stem cells have brought science many ways of problem solving. Specialized stem cells can be used to treat and cure heart problems, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other neurological and physical

Adult stem cells are difficult to extract, already specialized, multiply slower and difficult to work with, this difficulty has pushed most researchers to study embryonic stem cells and as a result most research done so far has been on embryonic stem cells derived from donated embryos. In the process of obtaining stem cells, the embryo is destroyed and this procedure can be seen as destroying a human life if one believes that life begins at conception. This method of obtaining stem cells has generated much

Stem cells are a type of cells that are responsible for the renewal and the regeneration of damaged and ageing tissues. Stem cells can be divided into two categories: Embryonic Stem cells and Adult stem cells also known as Somatic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can be retrieve from the foetus, amniotic fluid, the placenta, and the umbilical cord blood and in the early embryo. Adult stem cells can be retrieved from many other parts of the body once a child has been born and through to adulthood. Those parts of the body are skin, hair follicles, bone marrow and blood, brain and spinal cord, the lining of the nose, gut, lung, joint fluid, muscle, fat, menstrual blood and etc. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, which mean they can develop into any of the 220 different body cells while adult stem cells only be able to develop into muscle, bone marrow and brain cells.

This means that adult stem cells exist in small groups and are mostly undifferentiated, meaning the cells have the capability to change into one or more cell types over time. While adult stem cells can be pushed to differentiate into different cell types, they cannot become every cell type in the body. This results in the adult stem cell offspring only being able to develop into only cell types related to the tissue of origin. For example, neuronal stem cells may develop into nerve cells of the brain or spinal cord, but not into cells of other organs, such as the liver. Adult stem cells are also capable of homing to specific environments in the body and regenerating functional tissue after injury.14 These additional functions of adult stem cells make them ideal candidates for therapeutic stem cell medicine because they are able to be used in specific patients to help rebuild damaged tissue, providing the patient with a better quality of life.