Stem Cells Controversy

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Recommended: Ethical debate on embryonic stem cell research

When Marry Shelley says, “…how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge…” she is correct to an extent. A perfect example of this is stem cell research. It is amazing, stem cells can grow new organs, repair old ones, and cure conditions that were thought to be incurable before; however, at the current moment, the most convenient way to harvest stem cells is by harvesting the cells from an embryo, which is destroyed in the process. Although stem cells from embryos are the main focus right now, there are new alternatives that are being researched that will avoid the ethical issues with embryonic stem cells, which include stem cells from bone marrow, placentas, teeth, and umbilical cords.
Stem cells are the most useful cells in our body. This is because most stem cells have the ability to become almost any cell in our entire body. The reason these cells are so universal is because they are unspecialized cells and have the ability to regenerate over long period of time to create more stem cells or specialize into other cells. Since these cells have the ability to become any cell, they can be injected into organs to repair them, such as the heart or the eye. In addition, stem cells are currently being used to cure more than 80 diseases. Another amazing thing about stem cells in that they are able to grow new organs entirely, due to their universal use. In labs, stem cells can be printed by using a 3-D printer to literally print organs or a graph of an organ can be placed in stem cells and they will grow around it to create the organ. As “SiFi” as this may seem, it is true; just last year a doctor transplanted a bronchial tube, that was grown in a lab, into a patient and it worked very well. Currently, embryonic stem cells are...

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...an life is not devalued, the pursuit of knowledge is not dangerous, but quite the opposite; it is the best gift humanity has.

Works Cited

Mayo Clinic Staff. "Stem Cells: What Are They and What Do They Do?" MayoClinic. Mayo Clinic, 13 May 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. .
Murnaghan, Ian. "Stem Cell Controversy." Stem Cell Controversy. BSc (hons), MSc, 23 Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. .
Sadler, T. W., and Jan Langman. Langman's Medical Embryology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006. Print.
"Stem Cells: Where Do They Come From? What Are They Used For?" CorCell. CorCell, 20 Apr. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. .

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