Preview

Embryonic Stem Cell Research: How Does It Affect You? Essay Example

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1593 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Embryonic Stem Cell Research: How Does It Affect You? Essay Example
Embryonic Stem Cell Research: How does it affect you?

Embryonic stem cell research is widely controversial in the scientific world. Issues on the ethics of Embryonic Stem (ES) cell research have created pandemonium in our society. The different views on this subject are well researched and supportive. The facts presented have the capability to support or possibly change the public's perspective. This case study is based on facts and concerns that much of the research done on embryonic stem cells is derived from human embryos. This case study will provide others with a more in depth view of both sides of this great debate.

In biological terms, embryonic stem cells posses a virtually unlimited future. "Adult stem cell research has produced results that could help many patients with various diseases, but proponents of embryonic stem cell research argue that the progress in adult stem cell research should not preclude embryonic stem cell research" (Kukla, 2002). As of November 2004, California residents voted "yes" to approve $3 billion dollars for stem cell research. Michelle Lane, who is the state coordinator for the Parkinson's Action Network in Louisiana, was not only relieved to see this go through but because she has early on-set signs of Parkinson's disease she says "It proves we can win this battle." Kalb, C. (2004)
Scientists believe that using embryonic stem cells offers the most possibilities in scientific research; these cells have the capability to develop into any of the 210 cells found in the human body including heart cells, nerve cells, muscle cells, and skin cells. The budding capacity of the embryonic stem cell may prove useful for treatment of some medical conditions including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, heart disease and cancer. The prospective advantage of using embryonic stem cells is fascinating. Embryonic stem cells are capable of becoming any cell type in the body

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is Not Ethical. Dennis P. Hollinger. At Issue: The Ethics of Genetic Engineering. Ed. Maurya Siedler. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005.…

    • 2675 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The topic of Embryonic stem cell research carries with it a very controversial past. Some people support it, others do not. Stem cell research costs about 42 million dollars a year, how do they afford it, by the funding of private companies. However, what happens when the money runs out? Where will they get more? Will stem cell research continue? These are the questions I will be addressing in this essay.…

    • 718 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Due to recent discoveries, stem cell research will have many future medical possibilities. A recent stem cell breakthrough shows that cloning human organs or body parts to treat patients with injured organs or limb deficiencies could be possible. “The cloning techniques can also be used to grow organs for patients with a failing liver or kidney.” Because the newly cloned organ will be genetically identical to the one being replaced, rather than a donated one, the chances of it being rejected will be very low. Ultimately, this opens up many possibilities of curing patients with injuries, amputations, and failing organs. Stem cell research also reveals the ability to cure diseases. “Researcher Dieter Egli said their work was inspired by the thought of being able to take stem cells from embryos and use them to treat and even cure diseases. Worn out hearts could be patched up, aged brains could be rejuvenated and diabetics could be freed from the need to take insulin, all thanks to stem cells.” Stem cell researchers believe it is possible to cure diseases by replacing old organs with newly cloned ones. This will impact future medical possibilities because newer treatments will be out there and the ability to cure diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer may be possible. Furthermore, federal funding for stem cell research has been limited although by the popularity of its breakthroughs; stem cell research may receive federal funding in the near future. This will broaden stem cell research and allow scientists a greater chance of discovering new medical possibilities in the near…

    • 264 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Embryos are essentially microscopic human beings. Regardless of what good they may provide to the field of medicine, the ethical controversies surrounding embryonic stem cell research are profound. Stem cells, the cells used by the human body to replenish damaged tissue, are found in both embryonic and adult form. At the adult level, stem cells can be extracted from bone marrow, but the real ethical debate arises when embryonic stem cells are introduced. “Pluripotent” embryonic stem cells are among the only type that can form any of over 200 cell types, making it the most useful and versatile. These cells are isolated from the inner cell mass of the embryo when extracted, and subsequently terminates the embryo itself, which is technically manslaughter. However, it must also be noted that embryonic stem cell research can provide effective treatments and even cures for those in need of organ transplants and other irremediable predicaments. Therefore, it is safe to say, from a utilitarian perspective, that the essential “death” of one embryo can save the lives of many, and with Jeremy Bentham’s phrase “the greatest good for the greatest number”; I believe that embryonic stem cell research is ethical.…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Embryonic stem-cell research promises cure for many diseases and further benefits for the overall good of humanity. Moreover, virtually any excuse to ban it comes from vague and illogical ethical and religious doctrines. If this research is banned, it will certainly be detrimental to the progress of medical science and the hopes of millions of people to find a cure for their incurable deadly diseases and other ailments and lead a long life with good health will never be fulfilled. Hence, financial, political as well as social encouragement and support should be provided to embryonic stem-cell research in order to find out new and efficient cures for debilitating diseases and to discover the benefits that embryonic stem-cells may have in store for our overall…

    • 3049 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    investing and allowing research to be developed for embryonic stem cell is exactly what is being…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent(able to grow) stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage preimplantation embryo. Embryonic stem cells can form any possible cells in the body. These stem cells are used to better understand and treat diseases. They also help scientist understand how diseases occur/develop. Rapid advantages in research on the embryonic stem cells derived from human embryos have collided with opposing views regarding the morality of using human embryos for these purposes. Seeing that there are laws on almost everything, there are laws on stem cells as well. These laws have been a big source of controversy and they vary by country. In Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Greece, Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands, stem cell research using the human embryo is permitted in these countries. While in Germany, Austria, Ireland, Italy and Portugal, it is illegal.…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people may not be aware, but embryonic stem cell research has the ability to cure diseases. Stem cells have the potential to cure Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, ALS. spinal cord injuries, and more. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to grow into all cell types of the body, including blood cells, muscle cells, and brain cells.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The undifferentiated cells of a human embryo, referred to as stem cells, hold limitless promise for medical research. When a human embryo consists of not more than 64 cells, its cells are able to learn new ways of being. If injected into a diseased kidney, they take on many of the properties of ordinary kidney cells, and may help the kidney to perform its normal function. This seems to hold for any organ, even any kind of cell. (Goldstein) This is exciting medical researchers, because it means that the cells from an early embryo could cure leukemia, enable people with diabetes to manufacture insulin, treat Parkinson 's and Alzheimer 's disease, and repair the nerve systems of quadriplegics.…

    • 1188 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As the name suggests, embryonic stem cells are located in the embryo and can rebuild themselves into the same cell. These cells are undifferentiated meaning they can be used in all parts of the body which could potentially cure blood and immune system diseases, cancer, spinal cord injury and copious amount of other diseases. One of the main disadvantages with using embryonic stem cells for research is that human embryos are destroyed during the process of gathering the cells. This causes many people to believe that this is unethical because it is destroying a human…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Stem Cell - Persuasive

    • 1857 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Earlier this year a man was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma. A cancer that is more common in females than in males. Though a very common cancer, this one went untreated for years due to the fact that it was unknown that he even had it. Now you may be asking yourself, did the man do anything to cause the cancer? The answer to that is no, the man up until then lived a relatively healthy life. Cancer effects all of us is some way shape or form. You may know someone that is suffering right now. Someone very close to you, now what would you do if I told you that there could be a cure? Well stem cell research is breaking ground in this area…..Did you know that stem cells are the source of at least some , and perhaps all cancers. What you’re going to learn from me today is exactly what stem cell research is, how it can potentially help in treating a range of medical problems that could lead us closer to cures, the facts about the embryo’s used, and what we can do to support stem cell research.…

    • 1857 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This debate on embryonic stem cell research has held on over three decades. The controversy has not ended at this time. The controversy is about the work that holds immense promises from the scientific end and the opponents who view them as giving less value to human life. The most recent debate uses the very early part of development of stem cells for the potential to be alleviate conditions ranging from diabetes to Alzheimer's Disease. In 2001 the Bush Administration proclaimed a policy that permits some research with federal funds used with very strict rules. This policy has gathered little support three years later from the…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Many people have not been fully informed on the topic of human pluripotent stem cell research. Most American have heard a lot on one side, and very little on the other. Hence, they have not and can not fully evaluate the facts and can only give snap decisions, according to religioustolerance.com. Having heard extensive lectures on both sides, I believe that embryonic stem cell research shows great promise in bettering the medical and scientific community. I agree with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (also known as the AAAS) when theybelieve that stem cell research should be legally and ethically accepted. Using stem cell could reduce the dependence on organ donations and transplantations. In a survey posted on religioustolerance.com, a little more than seventy percent of all Americans support the question, "Do you favor the use of existing stem cells in research to cure ot treat dozens of serious diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart disease, and Parkinson's disease?" Don't you think that it would good idea to help cure diseases? Well, most of the people in the United States do, too. There has to be something good about curing people.…

    • 1192 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Stem Cell Debate

    • 4026 Words
    • 17 Pages

    Few recent scientific issues have stimulated so much media attention, public debate and government involvement as that of stem cell research. Stem cells offer people hope by promising to greatly extend the number and range of patients who could benefit from transplants, and to provide novel therapies to treat debilitating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, Huntington's, heart disease and stroke, as well as accidental damage such as spinal cord injury. So why would anyone object to research in this area? The problem is simply that a particular type of stem cell, which potentially could provide many cell types for a wide range of therapeutic uses, is obtained from the very early embryo. To make matters even more contentious, the same cloning technology that gave Dolly the sheep could in theory be used to tailor stem cells to the patient. Some people worry that we are taking research too far down paths that make them feel uncomfortable, others think it is downright immoral and against their deep-held, often religious, beliefs. But what are the scientific issues and why do many of us feel equally passionate that the research should be allowed?…

    • 4026 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Mummery, C. L., & Roelen, B. A. J. (2013). Stem cells: Cloning human embryos. Nature, 498(7453), 174-175. doi: 10.1038/498174a…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays