Stem Cell Research Persuasive Speech

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My cousin, Rebecca, has type 1 diabetes, a condition that inhibits the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin. Everyday she has to check her blood sugar and inject insulin when needed, because if she does not, her blood sugar could dip too high or low. Because of her condition, she lives in constant fear of losing a limb or going blind. She should not have to suffer through this nightmare, because now we have the tools to study diabetes, and we will eventually be able to grow new pancreases in labs, with the help of stem cells. Stem cell research should be funded because it has the potential to cure many different diseases and conditions.
Stem cells are unspecialized, meaning that they have the unique potential to become any other type of cell, such as a red blood cell or a brain cell. There are two types of stem cells: embryonic and somatic. Somatic stem cells are found in adults, and, as far as we know, are only capable of becoming specific types of cells (stem cells in the liver can only become liver cells, stem cells in bone marrow can only become red and white …show more content…

Stem cells can grow a new liver for someone with liver disease, stem cells can grow a new spinal cord for someone with a spinal injury, stem cells can grow new nerve cells for someone with Alzheimer's disease, and stem cells can grow a new pancreas for my cousin, Rebecca. With a new, nondiabetic pancreas, Rebecca and other type 1 diabetes patients will no longer need to check her blood sugar, inject insulin, or live in fear of complications. Stem cells can also be used to conduct experiments that would be unethical to do on humans. For example, a scientist wanting to learn more about the effects of alcohol on the liver could grow livers in the lab, subject them to varying levels of alcohol, and record the results, all without needing to use a human. Stem cells, if the research for it is funded, will be a major scientific breakthrough on par with

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