Tissue Ownership
Morgan Boudreaux
Mrs. Romero
English II, 3rd Block
23 September, 2013
Tissue Ownership “I think people are morally obligated to allow their bits and pieces to be used to advance knowledge to help others” (Korn). Different people have opposing opinions on the topic of whether or not patients or doctors own the body tissues after it’s been removed from the patient. Ownership is the act, state, or right of possessing something. Tissue ownership is different from ownership because once it leaves your body, you no longer own it. Contributing your tissues to the science world is superior because you can speed up medical advances, avoid litigation, and become a better individual by contributing to science and society. One of the most significant reasons of why you should donate tissues is to speed up medical advances. “Without those tissues, we would have no tests for diseases like hepatitis and HIV; no vaccines for rabies, smallpox, measles; none of the promising new drugs for leukemia, breast cancer, colon cancer” (Skloot). In other words, the world wouldn’t be as advanced as it is today if it was not for these tissues that scientists have done experiments on. If we would just stop donating tissues, it would slow the medical world down greatly. “Today, the study of human tissue affords unique and increasingly sophisticated molecular and genetic insights that progressively illuminate the detailed mechanisms and pathways of human diseases” (Korn). As you can see, Korn is one of the scientists who is willing to advance in the science world, but he, as long as many other scientists, cannot do it without your help. Why not donate one part of your body in order to help millions of people. Another thing donating your tissues can do is avoiding litigation. In one case, John Moore’s spleen was removed by David Golde, a cancer researcher, who used it to develop the Mo cell line. At first, Moore agreed to donate his spleen and signed a consent form, but then disagreed
Mrs. Romero
English II, 3rd Block
23 September, 2013
Tissue Ownership “I think people are morally obligated to allow their bits and pieces to be used to advance knowledge to help others” (Korn). Different people have opposing opinions on the topic of whether or not patients or doctors own the body tissues after it’s been removed from the patient. Ownership is the act, state, or right of possessing something. Tissue ownership is different from ownership because once it leaves your body, you no longer own it. Contributing your tissues to the science world is superior because you can speed up medical advances, avoid litigation, and become a better individual by contributing to science and society. One of the most significant reasons of why you should donate tissues is to speed up medical advances. “Without those tissues, we would have no tests for diseases like hepatitis and HIV; no vaccines for rabies, smallpox, measles; none of the promising new drugs for leukemia, breast cancer, colon cancer” (Skloot). In other words, the world wouldn’t be as advanced as it is today if it was not for these tissues that scientists have done experiments on. If we would just stop donating tissues, it would slow the medical world down greatly. “Today, the study of human tissue affords unique and increasingly sophisticated molecular and genetic insights that progressively illuminate the detailed mechanisms and pathways of human diseases” (Korn). As you can see, Korn is one of the scientists who is willing to advance in the science world, but he, as long as many other scientists, cannot do it without your help. Why not donate one part of your body in order to help millions of people. Another thing donating your tissues can do is avoiding litigation. In one case, John Moore’s spleen was removed by David Golde, a cancer researcher, who used it to develop the Mo cell line. At first, Moore agreed to donate his spleen and signed a consent form, but then disagreed
Cited: Page "Tissue Rights and Ownership: Is a Cell Line a Research Tool or a Person?" Columbia Science and Technology Law Review Tissue Rights and Ownership Is a Cell Line a Research Tool or a Person Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. "By Rebecca Skloot." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. "Vital (T)issues." Homepage of the Chemical Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. Korn, David. "Ownership and Use of Tissue Specimens for Research." JAMA. Vol. 292. N.p.: American Medical Association, 2004. Web. Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown, 2010. Print.