Stem Cell Research

The transfer of information, often shared through scientific reports and research, puts this topic in a highly international spotlight. Many supporters believe that stem cells will be able to help solve once untreatable diseases or injuries such as spinal cord injuries, skin burns, Parkinson’s disease, and some blood disorders. However, the main argument is if stem cells should be used in finding therapeutic treatments. The use of embryonic stem cells is viewed by many as a moral inconsistency; it is opposed by religious organizations and individuals believing that this research should be abandoned and existing, alternative methods be adapted.

“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.

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.

With exponential increases in the capabilities of modern technology, it only fits that we use this technology to further our existence as a species. Embryonic Stem Cell Research is one of the ways we have come up with to advance our species into the future. However, the perpetrators and supporters have been under fire and controversy since its inception in 1979. The protesters are fighting it mainly because it is destroying unborn fetuses in the process.Personally, I have a special and specific connection to embryonic stem cell research. As a Type 1 Diabetic, I know that the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation uses embryonic stem cell research in its efforts to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. The main use for the stem cells they have is

Stem cells are special cells that have the ability to regenerate and repair damaged tissue. Embryonic stem cells appear to possess the ability to become almost any tissue within the body. This, in theory, means that a cell could be taken from one section of an embryo that may have become a part

Embryonic stem cells research is the most debated type of stem cell research. The moral standings of embryonic stem cell research have been debated since the research started. The side against the research claims that it is wrong to value one’s life above another and that the elimination of the most basic form of life is murder. While the side supporting the research claims that the research could bring about the cure for many types of diseases and help save the lives of millions. Embryonic stem cells are controversial because of how they are obtained and used. While the two sides argue over whether it is moral or not, they both agree that adult stem cells have potential without the moral dilemma.

Many controversial and moral stricken issues have been put into question in today's modern society. Some of which include gay marriage, and abortion. Yet one of the most controversial has to be stem cell research. A Stem Cell is a "generic" cell that can make exact copies of itself indefinitely. It also has the ability to make specialized cells for various tissues in the body such as the heart muscle, brain and liver. But why exactly is stem cell research so controversial? Well mostly those who oppose embryonic stem cell research do so on the grounds that the cells die in the process. But what those people might not know is that an embryo is no bigger than a pinhead. And therefore there is no human suffering. Stem cell

The difference between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells is actually not difficult to understand. An embryonic stem cell is found in the Inner Cell Mass of a newly fertilized egg called an embryo. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent. I will talk about that later as well. Embryonic stem cells are practically the star of stem cell research. Many scientists research them to try and figure out what stem cells are

“At its core, this issue forces us to confront fundamental questions about the beginnings of life and the ends of science. It [stem cell research] lies at a difficult moral intersection, juxtaposing the need to protect life in all its phases with the prospect of saving and improving life in all its stages.” George W. Bush in his address at the Bush Ranch in Texas precisely captures the essence of the issues surrounding stem cells. “Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the capability of self replication as well as being able to give rise to diverse types of differentiated or specialized cell lines.” (Stien). Researching these cells can lead cures some of the most devastating ailments. Despite the research’s vast

“The proliferative and developmental potential of human ES cells promises an essentially unlimited supply of specific cell types for basic research and for transplantation therapies for diseases ranging from heart disease to Parkinson's disease to leukemia” (Thomson &Yu, 2006). As stated by Junying Yu and James A. Thomson, it is true that embryonic stem cells are very adaptable and hold many mysteries in medical science, but why are they so heavily debated upon? Embryonic stem cells, or pluripotent cells, are cells derived from embryos that have the potential to become any bodily cell. Research of these cells allows us to understand human development and how disorders or illnesses form as people grow older. The main controversy that surrounds

Stem Cell Research has been a controversial topic to the public ever since its introduction in 1998 after a scientist James Thomson derived stem cells from human embryos. Stem cells are cells that have the extraordinary ability to “give rise to all cells and tissues in the body” (Holland, Lebacqz, & Zoloth, 2001). Stem cells thrilled scientists. They offered the potential in curing many diseases. They offered the ability to restore organs; one could save failing organs by injecting healthy cells into the damaged parts, this process is called regenerative medicine. Stem cells offered endless possibilities. However, the public didn’t know how to deal with it. They were conflicted on whether it was ethical to destroy human embryos or the miraculous

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, or HES cell research, is a very controversial ethical debate. This issues is a dilemma for scientist, religious activist, and many more. HES cell research is being disputed because the practice is morally wrong. The other side of the issue stands with many scientist, being that they see the potential lives it could save in the long run. Religious activist, and many other pro-life leaders stand by the fact of how the scientist obtain the embryonic stem cells is wrong and unethical. To understand this issue we first need to understand what stem cells are. “Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have not yet decided what type of adult cell they are going to be”(What Are). There are different types of cells, including, Adult Stem Cells (ASC), Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC) and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSC).

There are two types of cells: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are produced when a

Stem Cell Research is the new frontier of Medical Science that the world so sorely needs. Every day thousands die from disease and disabilities that could be treated or possibly even cured through the use of stem cells; however these people continue to die as political and medical dignitaries argue over the ethics of the issue. The common “ethical issues” used to argue against stem cell research generally fall under the realm of religious constraints; however with the unresolvable differences between religious views, there will never be common ground on which the issue could be resolved. Even with the simplest scientific procedures there is always someone somewhere willing to argue the ethics, but their voice is overpowered by the benefits

Growing human cells in a laboratory may sound fascinating to scientists, however, to the average human being, it can often sound inhumane. The stem cells that these scientists use come from a variety of places, including embryos formed through in vitro fertilization and somatic cell nuclear transfer, aborted fetuses, umbilical cord blood cells, adult tissues, and reprogrammed adult tissue cells. These collected stem cells come in one of two forms: an adult stem cell or an embryonic stem cell. Just as the name suggests, adult stem cells are those that have been extracted from an adult organism. The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are located. These cells tend to be specialized in reproducing the tissues from which they have been taken and are found among differentiated cells in an organ. Embryonic cells, on the other hand, are derived from embryos. Most of these embryos are fertilized in a test tube, and some people consider this to be unnatural and