Embryonic Stem Cell Research: An Ethics Debate

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The past two decades have seen enormous scientific development that has grown exponentially and continues to evolve daily. More advances have been discovered within the past twenty years than at any other time in human history. This advancement has been increasingly prevalent in human genetics and the study of embryonic stem cells. One can hardly watch television or read a newspaper without seeing or reading something about the discovery of an innovative medical procedure or new treatment for an incurable disease. Though quite complicated, very simply put, embryonic stem cell research is the study of cells retrieved from embryos in the first few days of development—the blastocyst stage—which are called totipotent cells. These embryos are scientifically engineered in a lab usually for the purpose of IVF—in-vitro fertilization—and rarely manufactured for the sole purpose of science. Once harvested for study, the cell extraction destroys the embryo thus leaving the nucleus non-viable and unable to sustain life. While some maintain that embryonic stem cell research is an unethical procedure, others argue that exploring stem cells is vital to the future of medicine.

On one side of this heated debate are groups and individuals that oppose the research so much that they refer to it as a form of abortion. In their eyes, an embryo is the same as a fetus regardless if the cells are implanted in a uterus or conceived in a petri dish. The embryo to them, is deserving of a life and should either be preserved or placed in a uterus in hopes of having a chance to develop into a viable fetus. However, one of the foremost areas of the argument concerns religion, specifically Catholicism. The teachings of the Church include and explicitly state th...

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...nificance of this debate could theoretically change the way we practice medicine in the future. If stem cells research were abruptly discontinued, we would never know what could have been achieved in the way of prevention and cures. However, if we continue to take embryos that are frozen and use them for research to expand knowledge, when does the time come that we engineer embryos solely for research and scientific studies?

Works Cited

“Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is Ethical.” Current Controversies: Medical Ethics. Laura k. Egendor. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Houston Community College. 20 Sep 2011.

“Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is Unethical.” Opposing Viewpoints: Biomedical Ethics. Viqi Wagner. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Houston Community College. 20 Sep 2011.

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