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embryonic stem cell research pros and cons
problem with stem cell research
stem cell research controversy essay
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We all started off as an embryo. At one point in time, we were a small bundle of cells that would one day become who we are today. Those cells were essential to our body and the development of the fetuses that were us. Put yourself in the place of an embryo. You are a small blastocyst or a bunch of cell, only about 0.1 millimeters big. Even though you are slight and may seem insignificant, you hold all the opportunities of life. You have a soul and are alive, because you will become a human. The possibilities are endless; you could be a surfer, an artist, a chef, or anything else you wish. Now, imagine being taken out of the womb and you are killed. Then, experiments are conducted on you. All the potentials are now gone, and in their place is a dead fetus, being poked and prodded for “the advancement of science”. Embryos are being tested on because it “could lead to the discovery of new medical treatments” (Hug 1). Stem cell research can be beneficial, but uses unethical procedures to become beneficial. Stem-cell research destroys embryos that have a moral status, sacrifices one life for another, and is research that could potentially lead to even more harmful scientific advances.
Stem-cell research began in the 1800s.The term was first used in 1868. In 1909, a theory of blood cells coming from one ancestor cells was introduced. In 1957, E. Donnall Thomas attempted a bone marrow transplant. The first successful bone marrow transplant occurred in 1968. In 1981, two scientists studied the stem cells from mice embryos, the first stem cell from an embryo to be isolated. Experiments of mice embryonic stem cells continued until 1998, when the first human stem cells were experimented on. That led to the controversy of stem cell researc...
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...ong hands. This research could lead to clones and that could negatively impact the world. Even with all these cons, some people still argue that stem-cell research is good. We can find cures for people, but at the expense of new life. We aren't the ones who decide who lives and who doesn't.
Works Cited
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Hug, Kristina. "Embryonic Stem Cell Research: An Ethical Dilemma | Europe's Stem Cell Hub | EuroStemCell." EuroStemCell. EuroStemCell, 23 Mar. 2011. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
"The New England Journal of Medicine." Embryo Ethics. Massachusetts Medical Society, 15 July 2004. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
"Stem Cell Research." Explorable. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
Watson, Stephanie, and Ph.D. Craig Freudenrich. "How Stem Cells Work." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 11 Nov. 2004. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
...y, J. (2014). Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Can Meet Ethical Guidelines. In L. I. Gerdes
...ns of a morally questionable nature. It is necessary that our practices remain ethical and that we uphold the value of a human life, as this is the cornerstone of human society. Embryonic stem cell research is one such operation that forces scientists, policy makers, and the larger society to define what constitutes a human life and to find an answer to the crucial question: Is it morally acceptable to violate the rights of a human life for the for the sake of medical progress?
Kaufman, Dan S., and David Prentice. "Embryonic Stem-Cell Research: Experts Debate Pros and Cons." The Survival Doctor. The Survival Doctor, 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 04 May 2014.
...ting embryos specifically for stem cell research should not be allowed. Continued stem cell research will benefit all of mankind with its promise of medical advances. Opponents’ concerns about destroying human life will be quelled because stem cells will be taken from already doomed embryos. The federal government will be able to regulate the research and ensure that it is lawfully conducted.
The history of using stem cells in experimentation dates back to 1998 with Dr. James Thompson. A biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Thompson discovered that embryonic stem cells that were isolated with other types of cells would transform into that type. This led to the assumption that stem cells could be used to advance medicine because they could possibly treat injuries and diseases (AAAS, 2012).
Sansom, Dennis L., P.H.D. "How Much Respect do we Owe the Embryo? Limits to Embryonic Stem Cell Research." Ethics & Medicine 26.3 (2010): 161,173,131. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 13 Jan. 2012.
While many support embryonic stem cell research, some people oppose it say that it is an unethical practice. According to these people, embryonic stem cells require murdering a baby, human life is defined by rational beings, those capable of rational thought or a consciousness. In order to be rational one must have a consciousness, the ability to have thoughts and feel pain, to begin with. “For a fertilized egg, there is no consciousness and also no history of consciousness” (Stem). If abortions are allowed within the United States, why shouldn’t embryonic stem cell research be? Another claim against embryonic stem cell research is that it devalues human lives. “Some argue that researching embryonic stem cells will lead us into cloning technology” (Embryonic). While embryonic cloning is a possibility, we already possess the capabilities to clone so cloning is an invalid argument. The final argument against embryonic stem cell research is that there are alternatives, like adult stem cells. While adult stem cells may be utilized, they won’t be as effective. Embryonic stem cells are not only efficient but also renewable. They can be grown in a culture where as adult stem cells are extremely rare, if there are any. They can only be found in mature tissue. Isolating these extremely rare cells is challenging and has a high failure rate if not harvested correctly. “One major difference between adult and embryonic stem cells is their different abilities in the number and type of differentiated cell types they can become” (Stem). Using adult stem cells we might never understand our development from conception ...
As technology stem cell research intensifies, so does the controversy about whether such scientific progress is moral. In the past millennium to today the present stem cell research has become a controversial topic across the world. Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have unique regenerative abilities, allowing them to divide into specialized cell types. Understanding why these processes occur is essential to curing disease. Critics of stem cell research argue that the extraction of embryonic stem cells involves destroying an early embryo, equating the act of killing a human. Although stem cell research is a highly controversial topic, it is compulsory to continue stem cell research within ethical boundaries for the benefit of mankind.
The ethical issues behind the method in which stem cells are obtained out weigh the benefits of stem cell therapy. We should not try to play God, in the aspect of creation of living beings just to be sacrificed for the “betterment of mankind”. Many egregious acts have been committed under the guise of “the greater good”. This is one instance in which the ends do not justify the means.
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.
This paper will be discussing the history of stem cells. There are many different ways to collect stem cells. Stem cells can be used for either right or wrong reasons. People can either use them to cure or to cause harm. Most people use stem cells to cure fatal illnesses. The one researcher that put stem cells out in the science world so people could understand it better was Leroy Stevens. His first encounter with stem cells was with a mouse that had a teratoma.
Kristina Hug; Conversations: ethics, science, stem cells. EuroStemCell. Youtube, 2013. Youtube. Web. 9 Dec 2013.
Stem cells are very valuable for many reasons, some of which are as follows: by giving patients the ability to make an entirely new supply of blood, they make it possible for the immune system to regenerate itself. In doing this, it could feasibly allow medical breakthroughs for treating diseases like cancer and AIDS. There is much controversy over who actually should have taken credit for the discovery of stem cells. Back in the 1960's James Till and Ernest McCulloch (from the Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto ) discovered that after mice were injected with bone marrow cells their spleens developed “nodules” on them, and, upon studying these nodules they noticed that they were loaded with white and red blood cells. They also discovered that, additionally, these cells were able to reproduce themselves. These men said that, “All blood cells arise from a few hematopoietic stem cells, which are hidden away in bone marrow”(2). On the average, these cells produce an ounce of new blood (260 billion new cells) every day. Weissman was studying medicine at Stanford when the before mentioned men developed their theory, and it fascinated him. He decided to pursue the study and see where he could go with it. He soon began to study white cells backwards,...
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.
The stem cell research controversy is one of the major headlines in bioscience and has been discussed and debated numerous times throughout the last decade or so.