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The Advantages of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

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The Advantages of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
One of the most controversial debates in recent history has been the human embryonic stem cell debate. Millions and millions of embryos are not used each year when they could very well lead to a cure for fatal diseases such as leukemia and cancer. As well as become a cure for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Human embryonic stem cell research has enormous potential to cure many diseases and change the face of modern medicine. However, there is much debate against the use of embryos because many people believe that an embryo should be treated as a human being because they have the potential to become human beings. Background information on the research of embryonic stem cells is important to know before developing an opinion.

“All cells come from cells” (Holland et al. 4). There are three different types of stem cells: totipotent, pluripotent, and specific stem cells. All of them have the capacity to grow, reproduce and produce specific body cells or tissues. Totipotent stem cells are totally potent and are capable of forming any kind of body cell. An individual totipotent cell has the potential to become a human being. All cells are totipotent during the early stages of an embryo (Peters). Pluripotent or multipotent stem cells are not totally potent therefore they cannot develop into a human being. Pluripotent stem cells can develop into the three major tissue types: endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm (Piñón 501). Tissue specific cells are what they are, specific stem cells. They develop into specific cells. For example, skin stem cells produce only skin cells, blood stem cells produce only blood cells and so on (Holland et al. 5). Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) come from an early stage embryo. Fetal stem cells are cells within the fetus that cultivate into various organs (Stem Cell 13) and adult stem cells are within a specific tissue such as the brain or bone marrow. Adult stem cells have the potential to
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