Extended Essay: Stem Cells

The battles between right and wrong, moral and immoral, “good” and “evil” are apparent in the greatest religious, political, and scientific debate of all time. There has not been a topic so contested, so controversial since the days of Darwin and his “evolutionary” theory. With the intent to save but the power to kill, stem cells may be the greatest advancement of human science and medicine; but they also may become the greatest failure. There are those who would do anything to advance stem cell research and unlock their potentially enlightening secrets; however, there are also those who would go to any means to halt and destroy progress, mentioning words such as “ethics,” “morals,” and “God.” But what critics don’t understand are the potential benefits, as well as new, “ethical” sources, of stem cells. The unique abilities of stem cells have gained them the reputation of “the final cure”. True, there are gigantic hurdles and issues, one of which is the “ethics” debate, but once these issues are solved, stem cells have the ability to amaze the human race beyond our wildest dreams. Stem cells truly can become the “final cure.” Ultimately, based on a cost-benefit analysis and their merits, stem cells are a viable option for long-term medical investment and research. What are stem cells? The most simplistic definition is a cell that can differentiate into some or all of the different types of cells in the body. Differentiation is the process that leads stem cells to become any of the types of cells in the body. For example, a stem cell has the unique ability to transform into muscle cells or skin cells, based on where they are needed. The stem cell must first become part of a group of cells destined for certain tissues, then more specific differentiation kicks in (Scott 2006). Cells are given a signal to differentiate by genes, which create proteins that act as messengers (Scott 2006). Stem cells are the present in the human embryo, during the creation process,