Stem cells
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.
Why are stem cells are so special for the purposes of scientific research?
Stem cells are so special because of its three unique properties, which could help
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The transplants are preformed by retrieving the umbilical cord from a newborn baby shortly after they are born. The retrieved umbilical cords are kept frozen until they are needed for any other medical procedures or research. Retrieving an umbilical cord does not harm the mother or the child in any way.
Stem cell from embryo
Embryonic Stem cells are retrieved from a Vitro fertilisation embryo, which means it is retrieved from an embryo that is grown on a lab instead of a female body. Later on it will be kept frozen for future medical procedures or research. In order to grow stem cells the blastocyst has to be removed by the scientist and grow them in a nutrient-rich solution in a Petri dish in the laboratory. The stem cell than
Embryonic cells should be allowed to be used because of the medical benefits they provide. They can be used to cure diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, traumatic spinal cord injury, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and even vision and hearing loss (nih.gov 2009). There is no problem using them for medical purposes and it is not immoral to use them for this reason. Embryonic cells have the potential to save lives. Therefore, the usage of embryonic cells outweighs the ethical issues.
As stated previously, embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from embryos. According to the NIH, “Most embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro” (Stem Cell Basics).Vitro Fertilization is a technique that unites the sperm and egg in a laboratory instead of inside a female. These stem cells are then donated for research with the donors consent (Stem Cell Basics). According to Michael Zawada and Karen Kalumuck, these cells are usually donated by those who have extra embryos. Then the cells are put in a dish where they replicate. The embryonic stem cells are then analyzed after six months of growth to see if they have differentiated or stayed pluripotent. If the embryonic stem cells have not differentiated, they are referred to as a embryonic stem-cell line.
Stem cells are defined as “mother cells that have the potential to become any new type of cell in the body” (Cashin-Garbutt). It sounds like a tool that can be used to help another’s health, yet it is a hot issue in the modern science world. The stem cells come from spare embryo’s, existing cell lines, and therapeutic cells (EuroStemCell). Therapeutic cloning stem cells aren’t even used in patients yet and existing cell lines are well accepted. There are adult stem cells, and embryotic stem cells. The controversy surrounded by the topic comes with the embryotic stem cells. Embryo stem cells are moral, they help those with life-taking diseases, and often times there are extra embryos that are used.
As he lies and stares at the same blank ceiling, he begins to question his very existence. At only four years old, he sees the same doctor at the same hospital a minimum of once a week. He wonders why he suffers while other children his age are allowed to run and play. With his condition, he knows his fate will soon be determined, but he is unaware that the type of sickle cell disease from which he is suffering can be cured using stem cells. Scientists have recorded two types of stem cells – embryonic and adult. Stem cells can be retrieved not only from embryos, but also umbilical cords, the placenta, amniotic fluid, and adult tissues and organs (“Stem Cells,” 2011, p.12). Stem cell research is only a small part of a much larger field of regenerative medicine that includes cell-based therapies, gene technology, and tissue engineering (Lysaght & Campbell, 2013, p.251). Stem cells exist in tissues all stages of life; however, they differ in the range cell types that they can form (Merwe & Urban, 2016, p.6). Supporters of stem cell research believe the research is acceptable and that society is obligated to perform life-saving biomedical research (Clifford & Jerit, 2013, p.661). Continuing stem cell research has many medical advantages such as treating diseases, growing organs to test specific drugs, and the potential cures.
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
A stem cell is not ready to be a cell, but it has the ability to become different types of cells throughout the human body. There are two types of stem cells: adult stems cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are produced when a newly fertilized egg begins to divide. These stem cells can become any type of cell in the body. (American Medical Association) Adult stem cells – somewhat of an inaccurate name, because they can also be found in infants and children. These are stem cells that reside in already developed tissue. Also these stem cells can act like a repair system and help the human body, dividing regularly into different cells to provide new specialized cells to take the place of those that have died or are lost. Tissues where adult stem cells can be been found include the brain, blood, muscle, skin and bone. Research with adult stem cells has been limited due to the difficulty in growing and differentiating them under laboratory conditions. (American Medical Association)
Embryonic stem cells research is a very conflicting subject in the United States. Some people think that it is morally and religiously incorrect as they are killing a human life at the first stage of life. While some think it is ok because the human life to them starts at the stage of the fetus. In this paper we are going to discuss the total aspect meaning: how the government takes playThe intention of this research paper is to inform about the benefits of animal testing for humankind through the development of medical treatments and the quality of life throughout history. Also try to persuade the society that is opposed to this practice about the many positive factors that has given us the animal experiments in the battle against
Another milestone in science has been reached: the discovery of stem cells in the 19th Century. Stem cells have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009). According to the National Institutes of Health, embryonic stem cells derive from four to five day old embryos, also known as blastocyst, that have been fertilized in vitro and donated to research purposes with informed consent from the donors. Adult embryonic stem cells are found in differentiated cells in a tissue or organ. The main purpose of these cells is to repair the damaged tissue in which they are found. Since this discovery, there has been controversy over whether embryonic and adult stem cell research should be federally funded, and the ethics involved.
Embryonic stem cells which can be taken from the embryo. According to the National Institutes of Health (2016), “Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos. Most embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors.” These cells can develop and form any tissues in a living organism. The adult stem cells are cells of the body. The National Institutes of Health 92016) states “The adult stem cell can renew itself and can differentiate to yield some or all of the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The primary roles of these cells are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found.” The adult stem cells are found in many tissues and organ systems in children and adults. Lastly, the induced pluripotent stem cells are genetically modified and reprogramed cells to embryonic stem cells. They are divided and grown in a laboratory
Stem cells can become many different types. Later in life, stem cells also can replace worn-out or damaged cells. Embryonic stem cells can be grown relatively easily in culture. These cells come from embryos that are three to five days old. Embryonic stem cells can become all cell types of the body because they are pluripotent. These are pluripotent stem cells, meaning they can divide into more stem cells or can become any type of cell in the body. Adult stem cells are thought to be limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin. Unlike embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells cannot transform into any and every cell type. These stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues, including brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, ovarian epithelium, and testis.
Embryonic stem cells are harvested from something called the blastocyst. Blastocysts are created from an embryo that forms from an egg during in vitro fertilization. During the 3-5 day stage of an embryo that’s when the blastocyst is formed. They are then donated for research purposes. Embryonic stem cells can also be made in a lab. Preimplantation embryos are placed in a culture dish, which has the nutrient broth. This causes the cells to divide. The lab method is not always the most effective method because sometimes the cell does not survive so therefore the cell doesn’t divide and cluster into the culture dish like it is supposed
Firstly, what even are stem cells? Stem cells are cells that can turn into many different types of cells throughout your bedy. Think of it like a mother cell creating endless amounts of children. There are two kinds; pluripotent, ones that can turn into basically every cell in the body, and multipotent, ones that can only for a small number of cells.
Are embryonic stem cells the cure to many of the body’s ailments? Embryonic stem cell research
Adult or somatic stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are found among differentiated cells and have the power to differentiate into the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ it is found in. The purpose of adult stem cells is to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found, but the origins of adult stem cells are unknown. "In some adult tissues, such as bone marrow, muscle, and brain, discrete populations of adult stem cells generate
After many decades of successful and unsuccessful trials to find a cure for diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and/or Parkinson’s disease, it seems like scientific research has provided us with a hope for these diseases. This essay will address the issue of controversial research in stem cells. This technology offers hope to millions who are victims of a multitude of diseases and disorders. It can be used to regrow limbs, create organs, attack genetic diseases, treat malfunctioning bladders, etc. However, this same technology is also one of the most controversial debates in science today. If you type “stem cells research” into your Google search bar, you will most likely find not only advances in this