The Great Stem Cell Debate
The Great Stem Cell Debate
What’s All the Fuss?
Laura Alfonso
University of Phoenix/Axia College
Insert a page break to start a new, separate page from your entire text. Don’t just use the return button to get you to a new page. If you make corrections, it changes the formatting of the pages.
The Great Stem Cell Debate
What’s all the Fuss?
TAB “Every twelve minutes another name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list” (Donate life America, 2009) (para. 1&2). The National Center for Health Statistics (2008) website states “652,051 people die every year of heart disease, 75,119 die of diabetes, 43,901 die of nephritis, nephritic syndrome, and nephrosis [kidney disease].” According to Donate life America (2009) even with all the advances in medical technology the number of organ, eye and tissue donation still falls short of the need. Did you know that 100, 000 men, women and children currently need organ transplants.? Did you also know that an average of eighteen people die each day from the lack of transplant organs. ? The following paper will discuss how researching stem cells could lead us to the mystery of what happens during cell development. How with this knowledge stem cells could be used for medical therapies. This research will also look at those who oppose this research stating that it is morally and ethically wrong because of where the stem cells come from. The following pie chart shows us the status of organ donation as mentioned above. [pic]
Even though the harvesting of stem cells from embryos is considered murder by pro-lifers, researchers strongly support stem cell research because of the potential cures for fatal diseases and the decrease in deaths from lack of donor organs. Let us, however; start at the beginning by explaining what stem cells are. The photo below shows embryonic stem cells as pictured through a microscope viewfinder in a laboratory.
[pic] Photo courtesy of Mauricio Lima (2009) The
What’s All the Fuss?
Laura Alfonso
University of Phoenix/Axia College
Insert a page break to start a new, separate page from your entire text. Don’t just use the return button to get you to a new page. If you make corrections, it changes the formatting of the pages.
The Great Stem Cell Debate
What’s all the Fuss?
TAB “Every twelve minutes another name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list” (Donate life America, 2009) (para. 1&2). The National Center for Health Statistics (2008) website states “652,051 people die every year of heart disease, 75,119 die of diabetes, 43,901 die of nephritis, nephritic syndrome, and nephrosis [kidney disease].” According to Donate life America (2009) even with all the advances in medical technology the number of organ, eye and tissue donation still falls short of the need. Did you know that 100, 000 men, women and children currently need organ transplants.? Did you also know that an average of eighteen people die each day from the lack of transplant organs. ? The following paper will discuss how researching stem cells could lead us to the mystery of what happens during cell development. How with this knowledge stem cells could be used for medical therapies. This research will also look at those who oppose this research stating that it is morally and ethically wrong because of where the stem cells come from. The following pie chart shows us the status of organ donation as mentioned above. [pic]
Even though the harvesting of stem cells from embryos is considered murder by pro-lifers, researchers strongly support stem cell research because of the potential cures for fatal diseases and the decrease in deaths from lack of donor organs. Let us, however; start at the beginning by explaining what stem cells are. The photo below shows embryonic stem cells as pictured through a microscope viewfinder in a laboratory.
[pic] Photo courtesy of Mauricio Lima (2009) The
References: Green, R.M. (2001). Life’s greatest miracle. Nova Online Retrieved January 21, 2009, from http://pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/stemcells.html Lima, Mauricio. (2009, January 23). Stem cell research. Yahoo News. Message posted to http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/ss/events/sc/052005stemcells#photoViewer=/090123/photos_ts_afp/9123d49b12273da5c99f5f9d166f46f3 Was this a scientific post, or an opinion post? Office of women’s health. (2006, July 1). Organ donation and transplantation. In U.S.department of health & human services (par. 2) [FAQ]. Retrieved January 10, 2009, from http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/organ-donation.cfm#b Robinson, B.A. (1998-2008). Human stem cells. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Retrieved January 21, 2009, from http://www.religioustolerance.org/res_stem1.htm Stone, Andrea. (2007, January 30). Each stored embryo is a stem cell debate. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-01-29-embryo-debate_x.htm The American Association for the Advancement of Science (2009). Policy brief: Stem cell research. Retrieved January 18, 2009, from http://www.aaas.org/spp/cstc/briefs/stemcells/index.shtml The 2007 Annual Report of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients: Transplant Data 1997-2006. Health Resources and Services Administration, Healthcare Systems Bureau, Division of Transplantation, Rockville, MD. The National Institutes of Health (2006). Stem cell information. Retrieved January 19, 2009, from http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics2.asp