Embryonic Stem Cells

Stem cells research can help the human with cancer, birth defects and help to build normal cells it is only normal that we should research stem cells. Stem cells are special cells that are undifferentiated and have the capability to become many other types of cells. All stem cells have the ability to renew, replicate, and divide; thus, producing new cells. These cells are separated into categories according to their potential to become other types of cells. Two main stem cell types are embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from four to five day old embryos. They can be found on the inside of the placenta. These stem cells are considered pluripotent, meaning that they can become almost all possible types of

This has become a challenge for stem cell research. If the stem cell lines were created before August 2001, it is illegal to use federal funds to research them. Embryonic stem cell research sparks controversy because many people oppose the idea of the human blast cyst being destroyed. This means that the embryo was denied a chance at life. Some believe that this type of research is murder and that their tax dollars should not be used to support it. To harvest and use stem cells, the scientists get the stem cells from a culture dish and put them in a place where they won’t differentiate. Instead, the cells will divide and replicate themselves. Once the cells have gone through division, they form a stem cell line. Researchers manage and share these stem cell lines. The cells undergo a process called directed differentiation. This is where scientists manipulate the cells to form specific cell types and test to see if they are

In South Africa there are three private stem cell banks. They know that stem cells have been known to treat Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, Alzheimer’s disease and spinal cord injuries. In Asia they prohibit human reproductive cloning but allow the creation of human embryos for research and therapeutic purpose. In India they only approve the use in bone marrow transplant. In Japan they allow scientist to conduct stem cells for therapeutic purposes. In Europe France they prohibit reproductive cloning and the creation of embryos for research purposes. In South America Brazil they passed legislation to permit stem cell research using excess in vitro fertilized embryos that have been frozen at least 3 years. Overall in the global communities they are going in the direction of using stem cell to help cure diseases. Those who oppose embryonic cell research believe that embryos are human beings. They believe that a zygote is the beginning of life. Destroying an embryo is like murder, they say. Because the embryos are considered alive, critics believe that such research is unethical and unnecessary; however, if research is to be done, the cells should come from aborted fetuses because they are already going to be