Stem Cell Research Informative 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.

Stem cell research has been quite a controversial topic since its origin in the 1960s by Gopal Das and Joseph Altman. Of course, anything that uses a human embryo would be. Stem cell research could open a vast number of new doors for modern science, it could let us test new drugs, one of which could be the unfound cure for AIDS or Alzheimer’s disease. However, this branch of science comes at a high price, the price of a human life that is only five to six days

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

The paramount reason embryonic stem cell research should be funded by the government is that it could lead to cures to some of our world’s most devastating diseases. According to Mayo Clinic, “People who might benefit from stem cell therapies include those with spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke,

First of all an understanding of what a stem cell is, where it comes from, and the significance of it's medical potential is essential. Stem cells are the "master cells" that form the human body or whatever other animal it is from. Stem cells can be extracted from adult tissues, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood ( ), and embryos in the blastocyst stage. Although scientists have found ways to manipulate the stem cells from adult sources into other types of cells, they claim that they are less capable of deriving the desired tissue and are not "biologically equivalent" ( ) to stem cells extracted from embryos.

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.

Stem cells are cells with the potential to become any type of cell in the body. There are two different types of stem cells: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells are very valuable and are used mainly to treat blood diseases, but sometimes adult stem cells from the brain are used to treat neurological diseases. Adult stem cells can also be difficult to recognize in the adult body. Embryonic stem cells are more flexible than adult stem cells and can be used for a bigger variety of diseases (California’s Stem Cell Agency,2011). Some people do not believe in the use of embryonic stem cells, because they believe they are killing future life. Despite the controversy over how stem cells are gathered, stem cells have undeniable

Stem cells have an interesting history that has been linked with debate and controversy whenever it is brought up in a conversation in today's society. However, most people do not know the reasoning behind stem cell testing or using them to benefit society. It all started in the mid 1800s, stem cells were discovered as the cells that were the "building blocks of all the other cells." They serve as the body's own repair system. Stem cells can be vary in size, how they are obtained, and their benefits, they can help solve problems of an everyday human being, and can possibly find a cure for some of the most heartbreaking diseases on the planet.

Stem cells are different from normal cells because they don't have a specific type. They can become any cell. Since now a days many organs are in high demand and a matter of life or death for some people, it is important for medical research.

Stem cell research is a highly debated topic in today’s scientific community. Some see the problem as sacrificing the lives of unborn children to save the lives of others or let millions of people suffer from diseases that could be cured; however, it does not have to be as black and white as that. I believe that with proper funding better, safer, and less controversial ways of cultivating stem cells can be found. Stem cells could provide the answers to many of the problems facing the medical community today, save countless lives.

Scientists and researchers believe that Human Embryonic Stem Cells hold potential cures for numerous diseases in today's society, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Lou Gehrig's disease, Hodgkin's disease, hundreds of immune system and genetic disorders, spinal cord injuries, heart disease and just about every type of cancer. In today's world there's over a million Americans who suffer from deadly diseases, not only adults but innocent children that deserve to live a healthy life. These deadly diseases can be cured or treated in a more effective way than they are treated now with the help of the human embryonic stem cells. According to the Poll on "American views on stem cell research in the wake of the death of Ronald Reagan" which was prepared for results of America, shows that a sum of 73% highly supports and somewhat support this controversial process (Results of America, 2004). Even though this topic has brought continuous political attacks and very limited funding, Human Embryonic Stem cell research has made considerable contribution to the battle against disabilities and incurable diseases. A great example of success by using human embryonic stem cells was made by Dr. Hans Keirstead in the Roman Laboratory at UC Irvine; he restored myelin insulation around damaged nerves, returning motion to partially paralyzed rats. (Journal of Neuroscience, 2005) .

Stem research is making giant leaps that could revolutionise the way medical professionals treat diseases and test drugs. Medical applications of stem cells are already evident in our present society but due to some ethical, legal and social issues surrounding the use of stem cells, specifically embryonic stem cell research, it has been brought into a political crossfire. Stem cells were discovered in human cord blood in1978.( )Stem cells are cells that are undifferentiated and have the remarkable potential to differentiate into specialized cell types through cell division.(1) Throughout our body stem cells can be found either perpetuating the stem cell pool by self-renewal or replacing dead or damaged cells through

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

Stem Cells are cells that are blank and don’t have a certain function, so they can turn into any type of cell and do lots of functions in different parts of the body. There are two basic types of Stem Cells which are Embryonic Stem Cells and Adult Stem Cells. The Embryonic Stem Cells are normally used for research because they can usually produce cells for every tissue in the body. The Adult Stem Cells are usually not used for research because they generally only produce certain cell types such as skin and muscle. Since the Embryonic Stem Cells are mainly used for research, they use these stem cells to research causes of genetic defects in cells and used to research how diseases occur or why certain cells develop into cancer cells. Some advantages

A stem cell is defined as having “the ability to make specialized cells for various tissues in the body, such as heart muscle, brain tissue, and liver tissue” (umm.edu) Two of the most commonly studied stem cells are adult and embryonic. Adult stem cells are cells that have already became specialized, such as heart or muscle tissue. Embryonic cells on the other hand are still in development. This means that with some modifying, then an embryonic stem cell can develop into almost any specialized cell in the human body. Being able to genetically engineer specialized cells will allow for the possible cure for many medical issues faced today. The only issue with doing stem cell research is that some people may consider it immoral. Embryonic cells come from either aborted fetuses or in vitro fertilized eggs. This balances on the thin line of what point is a baby considered alive and if it is murder. Ultimately, stem cell research has the ability to make advances in the medical word.