Stem cells are cells that go through mitosis and separate into special cell types. Stem cells have the capacity to renew by their selves, resulting in more stem cells. Stem cells are capable of performing a specific task, such as regeneration and replacement of a damaged or a diseased tissue. There are billions of cells, all with their own music. As the brain develops, it turns out they're pretty harmonious—an orchestra of keyboards (Zerhouni, 2).The two broad types of cells are embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are kind of like “all purpose” type. They can specialize and become any kind of body cell. The Adult stem cells are tissue-specific type and can function with certain types of body cells only. Science and technology are continuously developing. Each year new discoveries are made that have a deep effect on society. There are thousands of people who die from the diseases that are preventable. Over the decade, it has been hypothesized by scientists that stem cell research may enable us to actually cure harmful diseases like breast cancer and arthritis. The great discovery in 1998 when scientists found that they had isolated the embryonic stem cell was the discovery that gave a promise to cute many diseases. However, there many ethical and religious controversies which have limited the further discovery of stem cell research. There are so many techniques that can be used to treat, cure, or prevent certain diseases. One of the techniques used in stem cell research uses embryonic stem cells. For embryonic stem cell research the technique used involves going into a several days old embryo called a blastocyst, take out the inner cell mass to get at the stem cells. This process destroys... ... middle of paper ... ...'s described above to be common and a normal part of disease prevention. I think a stem cell research is a beneficial way which can lead the biomedical world to new discoveries and would cure and prevent diseases and other conditions. Works Cited Zerhouni, Elisa. "Stem Cell Research: Unlocking the Mystery of Disease." NIH Medline PlusJuly-Aug. 2007: 1-3. Galileo. Web. 18 July 2011. Goidel, Kirby, and Matthew Nisbet. "Exploring the Roots of Public Participation in the Controversy Over Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Cloning." Political Behavior28.2 (2006): 175-92. Print. "Stem Cell Research." Research!America. Web. 18 July 2011. . "Stem Cells and Diseases [Stem Cell Information]." NIH Stem Cell Information Home Page. Web. 18 July 2011. .
Are embryonic stem cells the cure to many of the human body’s ailments, including defective organs and crippling diseases, or is their use a blatant disregard of human rights and the value of life? Thanks to the rapid advancements in this field, the potential benefits of stem cells are slowly becoming reality. However, embryonic stem cell research is an extremely divisive topic in the United States thanks to the ethical issues surrounding terminating embryos to harvest the stem cells. In response to this debate, Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker amendment in 1995 to prohibit federal funding of research that involved the destruction of embryos. President Bush affirmed this decision, but more recently President Obama lifted many of these restrictions. Despite the significant portion of Americans that do not support embryonic stem cell research, it should be federally funded because of the potential health benefits, the definition of human, and the opportunity to clearly define regulations for ethical research.
Because stem cells are essentially a blank slate, scientists are theoretically capable of growing any human tissue cell. There is enormous medical potential in this. Stem cell research is the next step in advancing the medical field. It is comparable to the discovery of penicillin or the inoculation for smallpox.
Stem cells are mother cells that have potential to develop into a new different cell in the body. It can self-renew or multiply while developing into other types of cells, for example they can become cells of the blood, heart, bones, skin, muscles and brain. Stem cells were discovered in human cord blood in 1978, and in 1998, Thompson, from the University of Wisconsin, isolated cells from the inner cell mass of early embryos (early stage of an animal or person before it is born) and developed t...
For decades, biologists have been using stem cells to figure out possible cures for different diseases and even prevent them. Stem cells are cells that can become useable in certain tissues in the body (according to an infant), or tissue cells that are already found in blood, bones, the brain, and skin (in adults or children). Stem cells are being used for patients with lymphoma (begins in the immune system), leukemia (cancer of white blood cells), and other types of blood disorders.
There are many different types of stem cells that are being looked at for research. These include embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and induced pluripotent cells. Embryonic stem cells are cells that have the potential to produce many different cells in the body. They are cells that are tak...
Holland, Suzanne, Karen Lebaqz, Laurie Zoloth. "The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate." Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2001.
Robertson, J. (2010). Embryo stem cell research: ten years of controversy. Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 38(2), 191-203. doi:10.1111/j.1748-720X.2010.00479.x
“Stem Cell Research: Guide to Critical Analysis.” Points Of View: Stem Cell Research [serial online]. January 2013;:4. Available from: Points of View Reference Center, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 26, 2013.
Within the past few years, scientist have made several breakthroughs with human stem cells. These breakthroughs have catapulted the issue of stem cell research into the middle of a national debate. Most people have no problem with the research itself, however the source of the stem cells (adult or human embryos) used in research is the primary cause of the debate. Some people feel that destroying an embryo is comparable to murder, even if the research it promotes may help people with serious illnesses. Other believe that an embryo is not a person and therefore research on an embryo is the same as research on any other group of cells.
Research on stem cells is advancing knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. This promising area of science is also leading scientists to investigate the possibility of cell-based therapies to treat disease, which is often referred to as regenerative or reparative medicine. There is genuine scientific excitement over the concept of using the body's own cellular building blocks to regenerate damaged or ageing organs. Stem cells are one of the most fascinating areas of biology today. But like ...
The issue of stem cell research first began on the scientific scene in November of 1998 when researchers first reported the isolation of human embryonic stem cells. The discovery, made by Dr. James A. Thomson, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, offered great promise for new ways of treating diseases through stem cell use. The stem cells, which are derived from several-day-old embryos, can theoretically differentiate into virtually any type of human cell, ranging from blood cells to skin cells (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2011). According to the American Medical Association (2013), a stem cell is an immature cell that has the potential to become specialized into different types of cells throughout the body. There are two basic types of stem cells: adult stems cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are produced when a newly fertilized egg begins...
Stem cells are a large focus of study in today's biomedical world. Stem cell research offers the hope of transplants being done without the sacrifice of another person losing an organ. There are many different pros and cons when it comes to discussing the use of stem cells.
“Stem Cells: The Future of Medicine.” Medschool.umaryland.edu. University of Maryland School of Medicine Web 14 Nov 2013
Stem cells are like master templates and are a vital component of the human body, they maintain and regenerate the organs and tissues throughout your life.
Too many people form an opinion on stem cell research without understanding what it is. In the 1960’s, Canadian scientists Ernest McCulloh and James Till discovered the idea of stem cells. A human embryo starts out as a blastocyst, which a formation of a hollow ball of cells [Firpo par.3]. The cells then develop into specialized cells. Each group of specialized cells has specific jobs in the human body. The groups of cells continue to divide and grow into similar cells. Embryonic stem cells are special because as embryo, they have not yet become specialized. This means they have the ability to divide into any type of specialized cell. In other words, embryonic stem cells are heart cells, brain cells, skin cells, or any other type of cell. In 1998, when Wisconsin biologist James Thomson successfully isolated and grew embryonic stem cells, it became a realistic possibility that these stem cells could be used for possible cures to vast numbers of diseases [Haymer 3]. It was then thought that the potentials of stem cell research were unlimited.