Preview

Stem Cell Reasearch

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
779 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Stem Cell Reasearch
Stem Cell Research: Should we continue to allow scientists to create new embryonic stem cell lines? Good morning everyone. The topic of Stem Cell Research has been argued over by politicians, scientists and people all over the world for over a decade. Scientists should not be allowed to continue to create new embryonic stem cell lines. One of the ways to obtain stem cells for scientific research is to destroy a blastocyst (laboratory-fertilized human egg). Destroying the blastocyst is the equivalent of murder or ending a human life. Life begins at conception, and the destruction of this pre-born life is morally unacceptable and not justifiable. Even if the outcome of extracting these stem cells can be beneficial by saving or reducing suffering for generations in the future, destroying an embryo that is a few days old is simply an immoral thing to do. Maybe that blastocyst that was destroyed would have developed into an adult who would find an alternative way to try and cure diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Heart disease and strokes. Taking that risk is not worth it. Diseases like these should be curedTampering with human life is erroneous and avoidable. Destroying the blastocyst may be considered as "Humans trying to play God". An anonymous individual spoke about the destruction of the blastocyst for scientific purposes and said "A life is a life and that should never be compromised. A fertilized egg should be valued as a human life even if it is in its very first weeks. Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical." Another reason scientists should not be allowed to continue to create new embryonic stem cell lines is because there are alternative ways to retrieve stem cells. There are four main sources for obtaining stem cells - adult cells, cord cells, embryonic cells and baby teeth cells. Instead of using blastocyst’s to retrieve stem cells, scientists can extract adult cells from bone marrow or the peripheral

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is Not Ethical. Dennis P. Hollinger. At Issue: The Ethics of Genetic Engineering. Ed. Maurya Siedler. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005.…

    • 2675 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Embryonic stem cell research is widely controversial in the scientific world. Issues on the ethics of Embryonic Stem (ES) cell research have created pandemonium in our society. The different views on this subject are well researched and supportive. The facts presented have the capability to support or possibly change the public's perspective. This case study is based on facts and concerns that much of the research done on embryonic stem cells is derived from human embryos. This case study will provide others with a more in depth view of both sides of this great debate.…

    • 1593 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Human cloning and organ harvesting are both immoral and unethical but should not be used as an argument against stem cells and stem cell research. Laws can regulate cloning and harvesting so this slippery slope never occurs, but prohibiting research into a field that can eventually prevent genetic disorders that dominant traits like Alzheimer’s and recessive traits like sickle cell can be fixed by gene replacement using stem cells, I don’t see a reason not to fund such research. Rifkin discusses the alternative research on adult stem cells as a better alternative, but either the fact that he is unaware that these cells show more flexibility then the adult stem cell counterpart. The fact that…

    • 570 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Most of the controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell research stems from the idea that the destruction of human embryos is equivalent to killing a human being. While I do believe human life is sacred and should be protected at all costs, I also believe that if there’s a way to cure millions of people of disease then we should assess how we should go about doing that. To me, curing grandpa’s lung disease using four to five day old blastocysts seems like a reasonable option in comparison to letting him die and rendering the embryos utterly useless as they’ll sit in a freezer or be eventually thrown away. Right to Life Michigan argues that scientists shouldn’t use embryonic stem cell research because 90% of couples choose to use their embryos for future pregnancies (If They Say… You Say…). In reality, the government requires complete disclosure to the couple and their consent before scientists can do anything with their embryos (National Institutes of Health Guidelines on Human Stem Cell Research). The benefit of helping sick and ailing people is exponentially greater than letting embryonic stem cells sit and collect…

    • 1431 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is an age-old question. The pro-life versus pro-choice debate has been argued for many years now. The stem cell debate is a similar concept, but the biggest difference is in most states a fetus can be aborted until they are 20 weeks old (editors, shape.com)! Whereas, embryonic stem cells come from embryos 3-5 days old. A common misconception with embryonic stem cells is that the child is getting taken away from their mother. This is because embryonic stem cells come from leftover vitro fertilizations so the cells would have gone to waste but instead are gone to help other people. These fertilization centers often have extra frozen cells. Many consider not using these cells is a waste (cirm). An important aspect to note is the difference between a fetus and an embryo. An embryo is an organism from the moment of fertilization to the 8 week mark. Whereas a fetus is from 8 weeks to the moment of birth (O’brien).According to Theresa Ellefson, mother and biology teacher, “ although I think that the pros of embryonic stem cell research outweigh the cons, I am not the mother of the embryo, and if I was it might alter my opinion.” This is a common opinion with mothers because they know how many benefits can come from the cells but they also do not want to volunteer their eggs. Although embryonic stem cells are not directly taken away from mothers, they are still sensitive with giving up their…

    • 2096 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Stemcell Research

    • 4323 Words
    • 18 Pages

    Every day millions of Americans across the country suffer from ailments ranging from diabetes to spinal cord injuries. However, new scientific advancements in the field of stem cell research may one day end their pain and suffering. Therefore, it is essential for Americans to support stem cell research. Unfortunately, the research has become the center of a controversy in recent years. Opponents of the research argue against the destruction of a human embryo. Proponents of the research support it because of the promise that the tiny cells show. Scientists have already coaxed the cells into forming several different tissues and even entire organisms and with continued research they may one day be able to cure a myriad of diseases.…

    • 4323 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Embryonic Stem Cells

    • 1345 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Embryonic vs. Adult Stem Cells - Why Jean Swenson Doesn't Support Embryonic Research and Why An Audience Would Listen…

    • 1345 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In my point of view I am strongly against using embryonic stem cells for research because it…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ethics of Stem Cell Research

    • 2751 Words
    • 12 Pages

    The first task of dissecting this debate is to differentiate between the two types of stem cell research. The first is adult (also called somatic or germ-line) stem cell research and is generally accepted and endorsed by all groups. Taken from human bone marrow or other deep tissues, this type of research has already been used for years in the treatment of many diseases, most notably Leukemia. Even the Catholic Church supports adult stem cell research, going so far as to partner with certain groups to further adult stem cell research funding. The disagreement lies in embryonic stem cell research. In embryonic stem cell research, a human embryo is created and then destroyed in order to obtain the intended stem cells. The circumstances which make the embryonic cells more desirable are two-fold. First, technology for embryonic stem cell research is currently farther along than somatic cell research; and therefore, it is cheaper. The more important distinction is in the quality of the cells collected. Adult…

    • 2751 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This debate on embryonic stem cell research has held on over three decades. The controversy has not ended at this time. The controversy is about the work that holds immense promises from the scientific end and the opponents who view them as giving less value to human life. The most recent debate uses the very early part of development of stem cells for the potential to be alleviate conditions ranging from diabetes to Alzheimer's Disease. In 2001 the Bush Administration proclaimed a policy that permits some research with federal funds used with very strict rules. This policy has gathered little support three years later from the…

    • 686 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A great debate has been in the air for awhile now on whether this research should be illegal or not. Many say that the methods are beneficial but many say it is immoral. Embryonic stem cell research should be illegal due to the killing of embryos. First, discussed is the aborted fetuses and how they are used for research throughout our society. This should be illegal throughout our nation's. Then, there is fetuses donated by women from fertility clinics for scientific research. Again, this should also be illegal because of the destruction of fetuses. On the other hand, embryonic research can possibly help cure diseases such as cancer and diabetes. They believe it is ethical and see nothing wrong with the process of it but these people are mislead by society's ways and are not wise in their research. Therefore, embryonic stem cell research is unethical and deserves to be brought to the public's attention so it can be banned all…

    • 1237 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Stem Cell Debate

    • 4026 Words
    • 17 Pages

    Few recent scientific issues have stimulated so much media attention, public debate and government involvement as that of stem cell research. Stem cells offer people hope by promising to greatly extend the number and range of patients who could benefit from transplants, and to provide novel therapies to treat debilitating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, Huntington's, heart disease and stroke, as well as accidental damage such as spinal cord injury. So why would anyone object to research in this area? The problem is simply that a particular type of stem cell, which potentially could provide many cell types for a wide range of therapeutic uses, is obtained from the very early embryo. To make matters even more contentious, the same cloning technology that gave Dolly the sheep could in theory be used to tailor stem cells to the patient. Some people worry that we are taking research too far down paths that make them feel uncomfortable, others think it is downright immoral and against their deep-held, often religious, beliefs. But what are the scientific issues and why do many of us feel equally passionate that the research should be allowed?…

    • 4026 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Stem Cell Research

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One reason many people don’t agree with embryonic stem cell research is that they believe that scientists use embryos that have started to develop into babies. This is a myth (UMichigan). Scientists fertilize an egg in a dish, and use it 5 days after the fertilization when the embryo only contains about 100 cells, none of which are specialized (UMichigan). The embryo is no larger than a period at the end of a sentence (UMichigan). This embryo, although beginning to form, has no heart, no spine, no limbs, and no systems (UMichigan). If this was known by more people, then many people may change their minds about stem cell research.…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From a scientist’s point of view, embryonic stem cells have a huge potential to revolutionize the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering as they hold the ability to produce all cell lineages including the germ line. This would provide the gateway for the treatment of a wide range of diseases where the body is incapable of repairing itself. However, some people especially religious communities hold strong objections regarding the use of human embryos in scientific research (De Wert, 2003) (Orive, 2003). The main point being that since “new life begins at the point of conception”, the embryo should hold full human rights (Daley, G.Q. et al., 2007). Nevertheless, there are different legislations in place in different countries regarding the use of human embryonic stem cells. In UK, embryonic stem cell research can only be carried out with authority from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Stem Cell Research

    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In conclusion, I feel that although stem cell research can be beneficial for the future of science, and help minimize diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease, I believe that the risks and procedures that are associated with the research are inappropriate and unnecessary.…

    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays