Adult Stem Cells
Written Assignment 2: Biology and Technology in the Real World
Addresses course outcomes 2 and 3:
• use knowledge of biological principles to ask relevant questions about the natural world
• make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations 1. Select one of the following topics below.
2. Find articles related to the topic. 3. Write two pages, double spaced, excluding references. You must read the articles that you find and summarize the information they contain briefly in your own words. Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. This assignment demonstrates the acceptable, ethical, and academic method for citing information from a public source. You may not use online encyclopedias as a source more than once. Use APA style for citing references (see
You will be expected to write a paper with proper formatting, spelling, and grammar. Topics (select one)
a) Genetically modified food. What is the purpose of human-made genetic recombinations in food? Are foods that contain genes resulting from artificial genetic recombinations really safe? What foods in your supermarket result from genetic recombination? What types of regulations exist for these foods? (For example, you might search the Food and Drug Administration website.) Clearly explain your reasoning for each answer.
b) Stem cells. A relative of a friend of yours had a spinal cord injury after a bad car accident. The medical team has decided that this patient is a good candidate for a clinical trial using stem cell therapy. Your friend has not had a biology course since high school, so you are going to write for him or her a two-page discussion of stem cell information. In your discussion, include a description of the biology of stem cells, and explain how these cells are unique in their ability to treat diseases and injury. The following website from NIH regarding stem cell research will be very helpful:
Addresses course outcomes 2 and 3:
• use knowledge of biological principles to ask relevant questions about the natural world
• make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations 1. Select one of the following topics below.
2. Find articles related to the topic. 3. Write two pages, double spaced, excluding references. You must read the articles that you find and summarize the information they contain briefly in your own words. Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. This assignment demonstrates the acceptable, ethical, and academic method for citing information from a public source. You may not use online encyclopedias as a source more than once. Use APA style for citing references (see
You will be expected to write a paper with proper formatting, spelling, and grammar. Topics (select one)
a) Genetically modified food. What is the purpose of human-made genetic recombinations in food? Are foods that contain genes resulting from artificial genetic recombinations really safe? What foods in your supermarket result from genetic recombination? What types of regulations exist for these foods? (For example, you might search the Food and Drug Administration website.) Clearly explain your reasoning for each answer.
b) Stem cells. A relative of a friend of yours had a spinal cord injury after a bad car accident. The medical team has decided that this patient is a good candidate for a clinical trial using stem cell therapy. Your friend has not had a biology course since high school, so you are going to write for him or her a two-page discussion of stem cell information. In your discussion, include a description of the biology of stem cells, and explain how these cells are unique in their ability to treat diseases and injury. The following website from NIH regarding stem cell research will be very helpful:
References: - Karanes C, Nelson G O, Chitphakdithai P, Agura E, Ballen K K, Bolan C D, Porter D L, Uberti J P, King R J, Confer D L.(2008) Twenty years of unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation for adult recipients facilitated by the National Marrow Donor Program. BIOLOGY OF BLOOD AND MARROW TRANSPLANTATION 14 (9): 8–15. Lindvall O, Kokaia Z. (2006) Stem cells for the treatment of neurological disorders. Nature 441(7097): 1094–1096. Tuch B E (2006). Stem cells—a clinical update. Australian Family Physician 35 (9): 719–21. Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation. In National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet web site. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010. Cited August 24, 2010 Team co-headed by researchers at Chosun University, Seoul National University and the Seoul Cord Blood Bank (SCB). Umbilical cord cells 'allow paralysed woman to walk ' By Roger Highfield, Science Editor.