Stem Cell Research Paper

Stem cell research essay

This essay covers the topic of stem cell research and its use.The controversy of stem cells has been going on since the first use of stems cells in humans in 1998. There is a controversy of stem cell research mainly on its ethics and on the use of embryonic stem cells (EMC), since it deals with the use, creation, and destruction of human embryos. There are four main points that will be covered which are: uses of stem cells, pros and cons of stem cell research, the ethics of it, and opinions of the general people. With a conclusion of whether research should continue on stems cells and if they should be used or not in the future.

Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the potential to create more specific cells, for example brain cells, tissue cells, and muscle cells. We all have stem cells in our bodies but the stem cells are strongest when in a fetus than it would be in an adult body. These cells are called embryonic stem cells that are created when a female egg is fertilized by sperm. Stem cell research is used to learn more about basic cells which can develop organisms. To research the cells they have to grow them in laboratories where tests are carried out. The problem is that in the past few years they have been using EMC’s from aborted embryos, which has brought up a lot of ethical problems and caused the controversy to rise. Fortunately scientists have moved to more ethical research and found out a way to create a induced pluripotent stem cells (ips). These stem cells can be artificially created from non-pluripotent cells for example adult somatic cells.

Stem cells can be used for a variety of things such as, studying the development of complex organisms, Study diseases, and can it can help treat diseases. What stem cells are currently being used to test new drugs for example cancer cell lines are being used to test anti tumor drugs, which eliminates the use of animal testing. The most important future use of stem cells is the generation of cells and tissues that can be used for cell based therapies, this is the most useful use because today there are donations of organs and tissues are used for the replacement of destroyed tissue and or organs, but the amount of donations is nowhere near the amount needed. Stem cells that can be specialized into different cells can offer a renewable supply of replacement cells and tissue that can be used to treat diseases such as parkinson's, alzheimer's, heart disease, and birth defects just to name a few. Scientists can use stem cells to study the development of complex organisms by following the stem cells as they divide and turn into specific cells making bones, brain, and other cells. This use of stem cells can