Cloning and Stem Cell Research

1987 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ethical arguements on human embryonic stem cell research

Cloning and Stem Cell Research

Technology has advanced a great deal within the past few years. We have learned so much information about animals' genes and what can be done with them. However, with this new information brings new questions and arguments. So far, scientists have successfully cloned a sheep, a monkey, a bull, and are working on an endangered breed of ox, of course cloning animals and conducting research on those animals does not concern many people. When people begin discussing cloning and stem cell research heads turn because it is such a controversial issue. Is it morally right to destroy a life so that maybe someday others could live?

According to an article in People Weekly the theory is that embryonic stem cells could replace any damaged or diseased tissue, curing diseases like Alzheimer?s, Parkinson?s, and diabetes. Sounds like a winning plan to the uneducated hear. The problem that arises with this theory is that scientists must destroy human embryos to make the cells.

Michael West, the chief executive of Advanced Cell Technology a Worcester, Massachusetts based company where a majority of their cells come from embryos left over from In Vitro Fertilization. In Vitro Fertilization, is a process where the sperm from a male and an egg from a female are fertilized outside of the human body in a laboratory. When scientists perform this procedure generally the scientists will extract more than one embryo from the female to ensure that at least one will be fertilized. The rest of the cells are then extra and are not needed. West and other scientists at Advanced Cell Technology have proposed producing stem cells from cloned embryos. This may lead to treatments in which damaged tissue is replaced with what are essentially the patient?s own cells. West also explains that unlike other types of cells, embryonic stem cells can probably reproduce forever. ?These cells will grow for researchers until the last researcher on the Earth,? ads West (Herper).

When asked in a CNN.com chat room, ?When do scientists consider an embryo a life?? Dr. Jeffrey Kahn the Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota responded with this. ?It depends on the scientist, but you would get views ranging from ?at conception? to ?at birth.? Many people consider the stage of embryos we are talking about to be ?pre-embryos? since they...

... middle of paper ...

...ts would donate the only embryos I would want to be used, for the sole purpose of stem cell research.

Works Cited

Bush, George W. Remarks by the president on stem cell research. The Bush Ranch.

Crawford, Tx. 9 Aug. 2001.

Goldstein, Andrew. ?We Must Proceed With Great Care.? Time. 158.7 (2001) 14+

Herper, Matthew. ?Future Tech? Tells information on stem cell research.

Of Miracles and Morality: Stem Cells and Cloning. 17 Sep. 2001. 11 Mar. 2002.

<http://www.forbes.com/2001/07/17/stemcellindex.html>.

Humancloning.org ?The Benefits of Human Cloning.? Human Cloning Foundation.

13 Mar.2002 <http: //www.humancloning.org/benefits.htm>.

Kahn, Dr. Jeff. Online chat ?Debate over ethics of stem cell research.?10 Aug. 2001.

CNN.com 6 Mar. 2002.

Kass, Leon R. Cloning Testimony. Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Washington D.C. 20 June 2001. <http://www.cnn.com/2001/COMMUNITY/08/10/kahn.cnna/index.html>

New Democratic Coalition. Letter to the president. 2 Mar 2001.

Orecklin, Michele. ?Leon Kass: The Ethics Cop.? Time. 158.7 (2001) 23.

?Turning Point : In the controversy over stem cell research?? People Weekly.

20 Aug, 2001: 101+.

Show More
Related

  • Embryonic Stem Cells Research, A List of Topics and Sub-Topics

    2164 Words  | 5 Pages

    Embryonic stem cells research has challenged the moral ethics within human beings simply because the point at which one is considered a “human,” is still under debate and practically incapable to make a decision upon.

    Read More

  • Therapuetic Cloning

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    Children grow up watching movies such as Star Wars as well as Gattaca that contain the idea of cloning which usually depicts that society is on the brink of war or something awful is in the midsts but, with todays technology the sci-fi nature of cloning is actually possible. The science of cloning obligates the scientific community to boil the subject down into the basic category of morality pertaining towards cloning both humans as well as animals. While therapeutic cloning does have its moral disagreements towards the use of using the stem cells of humans to medically benefit those with “incomplete” sets of DNA, the benefits of therapeutic cloning outweigh the disagreements indubitably due to the fact that it extends the quality of life for humans.

    Read More

  • The Debate Concerning Embryonic Stem Cell Research

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ns of a morally questionable nature. It is necessary that our practices remain ethical and that we uphold the value of a human life, as this is the cornerstone of human society. Embryonic stem cell research is one such operation that forces scientists, policy makers, and the larger society to define what constitutes a human life and to find an answer to the crucial question: Is it morally acceptable to violate the rights of a human life for the for the sake of medical progress?

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Research

    1328 Words  | 3 Pages

    Scientists would be able to grow spinal cells from pluripotent stem cells. These cells could possibly repair spinal cord damage. Those afflicted by paralysis, such as Christopher Reeve, could possibly move again. Stem cells could also be used to grow nerve cells, possibly combating Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s. While it will be many years before scientists may actually be able to find a way to combat these diseases, there is a great promise in stem cells.

    Read More

  • Abortion - Can You Hear the Babies Screaming?

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    when a life begins for a human.  If society is to assume that a fetus is a human

    Read More

  • Summary: A Defense Of Abortion

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    Abortion is "the intentional termination of a pregnancy which may include the loss of life of an unborn entity". During the eighth week of pregnancy, the development of the unborn entity known as the Fetus- an unborn offspring- begins, where brain activity becomes detectable. Note, the fetus is not considered Viable until the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy (S. Morris MarquisHO). According to Professor Steven Morris, a fetus becomes a person when it has sentience, viability, brain activity, self-consciousness, etc. "While many people agree that a day-old embryo does not have rights, most people agree that a fetus has rights on the day before it is born". Analyzing the following case:

    Read More

  • Stem Cells Essay

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...velopment of tissues to replace damaged organs in the human body. Scientists have discovered for the first time how stem cells could be generated from embryo’s that were produced using adult stem cells.

    Read More

  • Embryonic Stem Cell Argumentative Essay

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    In vitro fertilization is the process by which stem cells result. In vitro literally translates to “in glass” which is why the phrase “test tube baby” is common when referring to this act. In cases of infertility a woman can turn to this process which harvests eggs from a female and then fertilizes those eggs in a test tube. The fertilized eggs will then be matured in an incubator for one to two days before they are transferred into the woman. These same steps are taken when creating stem cells for experimentation, however, the fertilized...

    Read More

  • Cloning In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    If we are not responsible for biotechnology and cloning, human nature can be altered into a new type of “human” or rather we will create something inhuman. Modern day biotechnology and cloning are advancing so quickly that it brings concern to human nature. With the rapid advancements, life may be able to be prolonged for eternity. Some argue that because cloning stem cells is beneficial to humanity, it is ethical.

    Read More

  • Debating the Legality and Morality of Abortion

    1653 Words  | 4 Pages

    I believe that there in so way of knowing specifically when human life begins. I think people just go by their own personal opinions or by their religious belief. “Human life is a continuum---sperm and eggs are also alive, and represent potential human beings, but virtually all sperm and eggs are wasted. Also, two-thirds of human conceptions are spontaneously aborted by nature” (About Abortion, 1988). My least favorite phrase to hear from pro-life supporters is that abortion is the murdering of a person. Personhood is not a biological fact, and I know this. It cannot be proven, it is not a certainty, and it is not a fact. Abortion actually has positive benefits on a woman’s health and life. When people say that the fetus has rights too, I get what they are saying, but if fetal rights were protected in the law then women 's bodies, health and rights would be subordinated to the defense of embryos. The legal consequences of this kind of a law would be disastrous. The best way to protect the fetus is to endorse the health and well-being of the

    Read More

  • Embryonic Stem Cell Research Persuasive Essay

    2065 Words  | 5 Pages

    Could you imagine being able to create new organs, tissues, muscles, and even food? With embryonic stem cell technology, believe it or not, these things are possible. Stem cells are the body's raw materials. Specifically, they are cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated. Under the right conditions in the body or in a laboratory, stem cells can divide to form more cells called daughter cells. These daughter cells either become new stem cells or turn into specialized cells with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, muscle cells or bone cells. The possibilities are almost endless. The debate and main issue with this technology is that the actual stem cells come from embryos. Embryos are an unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development. Although there is controversy surrounding these cells, embryonic stem cells should continue to be researched and used, because they have so much potential.

    Read More

  • Cloning is Unethical

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    In recent years our world has undergone many changes and advancements, cloning is a primary example of this new modernism. On July 5th, 1995, Dolly, the first cloned animal, was created. She was cloned from a six-year-old sheep, making her cells genetically six years old at her creation. However, scientists were amazed to see Dolly live for another six years, until she died early 2005 from a common lung disease found in sheep. This discovery sparked a curiosity for cloning all over the world, however, mankind must answer a question, should cloning be allowed? To answer this question some issues need to be explored. Is cloning morally correct, is it a reliable way to produce life, and should human experimentation be allowed?

    Read More

  • Embryonic Stem Cell Research Essay

    1303 Words  | 3 Pages

    While stem cell research has received an abundance of support from people who believe it has the potential to treat and remedy disease, many others oppose embryonic stem cell research because it ultimately causes the destruction of an embryo, what they consider to be a human life. Which brings on the question, when does life begin. The answer is opinionated. Many people disagree on when life begins; some people believe that an embryo is a human and some believe that they are not human until

    Read More

  • Reasons to Ban Cloning

    591 Words  | 2 Pages

    Last of all, Cloning is not ethical, many religious groups look down upon cloning and think it’s not proper because they think it’s like playing God. Many scientists were mainly thinking about cloning animals and, most likely, humans in the future to harvest their organs and then kill them. “Who would actually like to be harvested and killed for their organs?” “Human cloning exploits human beings for our own self-gratification (Dodson, 2003).” A person paying enough money could get a corrupt scientist to clone anybody they wanted, like movie stars, music stars, athletes, etc (Andrea Castro 2005),” whether it be our desire for new medical treatments or our desire to have children on our own genetic terms (Dodson, 2003).

    Read More

  • Human Cloning Should be Illegal

    573 Words  | 2 Pages

    Human cloning is also unethical. Cloning, especially therapeutic cloning, requires the use of human embryos. Using these embryos would mean killing unborn children. Therapeutic cloning begins by removing the stem cells from an embryo (Human Cloning). The stem cells are used to grow bone, nerve, and muscle tissue. In the process of therapeutic cloning, an embryo, or a baby in the early stages of development, is taken and parts of it are grown to develop parts of the body including organs and limbs (Human Cloning). Removing these stem cells would kill the embryo. The embryo, which would result in a child if left in the mother’s womb, is separated into parts, which are used for science.

    Read More

More about Cloning and Stem Cell Research

Open Document