Stem Cell Research

“Scientists are working on research that could one day dramatically improve your life, along with the lives of every other person in the world (Viegas, Jennifer. Stem Cell Research. New York: Rosen, 2003. P. 1).What are Scientists working on? Scientists are working on stem cells. Stem cells are the basic building blocks from which the cells of tissues in the body grow. The importance of Scientists researching stem cells is because of their unique ability to develop into different types of tissue, and they could potentially be used to replace damaged tissue, or tissue that is destroyed by disease. The problem that scientists are running into though while they research them is many people believe that stem cell research is controversial. This essay will look at why stem cell research is controversial, and why it is so important.

Stem cell research is controversial because critics of the research believe that using stem cells from embryos is not acceptable and never will be. They believe that it is killing a person to improve the life of another. Opponents believe that using stem cells to improve life of somebody who is already living or cure diseases is Humans trying to play God with Bio-technology.

What do stem cells do? I believe that Stem-cell research is a good thing because it could mean the end to certain diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s, and it could also fix damaged organs, from diseases like cancer. Below in F.1 is a chart of potential uses of stem cells. [pic 1][pic 2]

 “A stem cell is very much like most other cells. It has a membrane, cytoplasm, and other attributes associated with cells. Cells can also divide and duplicate itself (Viegas 17).”  There are two different types of stem cells. Adult Stem cells are found in the Brain, bone marrow, skin and liver. The other Stem cells are embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells come from embryos which are unborn humans in the very earliest stages of life. Even earlier then a fetus, “The embryos used in stem cell research are less than one week old and are smaller than a grain of rice. Their stem cells can develop into every cell in the body. It is these embryonic stem cells that are at the heart of the debate over stem cell research” (Forman, Lillian. Stem Cell Research. Edina, MN:ABDO Pub 2008. P.8).

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“Research that is presently being performed is simply aimed at learning what tissues can be produced from stem cells and how best to reproduce and use such cells. Learning how stem cells change into specific types of cells could result in the ability to stimulate stem cells in laboratories to form specific types of tissue” (Freedman, Jeri. America Debates Stem Cell Research. New York: Rosen Central, 2008. Print P. 12). I believe it is good that we have researchers that try and understand stem cells “Unfortunately in August of 2001 George W. Bush put his first restrictions on the research by ordering that government money be used to study only those stem cell lines that were then in existence.”(Forman 11) In other words scientists would be restricted to using cells from embryos that had already been destroyed. No new embryos could be used for research. “On July 19, 2005, President Bush restricted embryonic stem cell research again.”(Forman 11). Since President Obama took office he took President Bush’s restrictions on stem cell research off, meaning that federal funding can now be used to research stem cells.[pic 4]