Embryonic Stem Cells

Kinsley, Michael. "Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research is not Immoral." Human Embryo Experiment . Ed. David Haugen and Susan Musser. Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale, 2007. 11-41. Print.

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.

Biomedical engineering has become a growing field over the past couple years. The new advances and research that stem from biomedical engineers can solve problems that would have never have been able to be solved before. Engineers have been working on new technology that will utilize stem cells in order to save lives and treat diseases. The stem cells that are used for treatment are called embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are formed from five-day old human embryos that the embryos are essentially human beings ("In Stem-cell Research” Para. 3). The usage of such stem cells has caused controversy because pro-life advocates believe lives are being taken away which embryonic stem cell usage. Despite the viewpoints of pro-life advocates who consider embryos to be a life form, the usage of stem cells for medical and scientific reasons is absolutely ethical. The advantages of stem cell usage such as their ability to save a human life, outweighs the opposing viewpoints of partisans against embryo usage.

The Family Research Council, 7 April 2007. Adult Stem Cell vs Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ethics Video, YouTube [Online]

Of the many controversial issues in the United States, stem cell research stands among the top. People either think the destruction of human embryos is necessary to save the lives of others, or they think “the ends don’t justify the means”. Both sides have valid arguments, but when considering the future possibilities that can derive from embryonic stem cell research, the solution is clear. Stem cell research should definitely be practiced along with a strong emphasis on embryonic stem cell research. In order for any of this to happen, the United States government must fund the research. The funding of embryonic stem cells will allow for technologies to be improved to the point where eventually the destruction of embryos will no longer be required.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can differentiate themselves into specific cell type. There are two types of stem cells. The first one is the adult's stem cell. These stem cells can be found in various places in an adult human body, like the brain, the bone marrow or the liver. The other type of stem cells is the embryonic stem cells. These cells are found in embryos before its implantation in the mother's uterus. At this stage the embryo is divided in two types of cell. The first one is the outer cluster of cell that forms the embryo that will become part of the placenta once the embryo hatch. And the inner cluster is the source of embryonic stem cell since it consists of undifferentiated cell that will divide and differentiate to form all the organs and tissue needed in an adult organism. As stem cell are undifferentiated cell they can become whatever cell type is needed in an organism and could be the solution to diseases that are, at this date, incurable. (Medical News Today, 2013). Most of the ethic's problem of the stem cells researches come from the embryonic stem cell researches and how the cells are collected. Embryonic stem cells can be obtained in several ways. The first one is after a couple's fertility treatment, there might be some embryos left and the couple can decide to donate their embryos to research. The second option is to collect stem cells from a foetus after an abortion. And the last possibility is to use therapeutic cloning. Using an ovum from witch the nucleus was taken off and the nucleus of a somatic cell, the origin of this cell in the body doesn't matter, it can come from the skin for example, it is possible to create an embryo and get the stem cell from the created embryo. But in all of...

Although some find embryonic stem cells unethical, supporting embryonic stem cell research will benefit humankind in many aspects.

"What Are Stem Cells?" University of Nebraska Medical Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.

Embryonic stem cell research is considered inhumane in a great majority of peoples’ eyes, because it typically implies abortion. However, the advent of iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) has redefined the potential of ethical stem cell research, and are a groundbreaking medical discovery that could save millions of lives in due time.

Stem cells are cells that have the ability to help thousands of people. These cells can help make dreams of finally getting rid of the wheelchair or bed become realities. They have the power to differentiate into any cell type, giving scientists hope that one day they can fix and repair organs damaged by disease or birth defects and help fight against diseases that impair a person’s quality of life. However, it is not the uses or benefits that can come out of using stem cells, but it is how scientists and researchers obtain the stem cells that have sparked debate over if it is ethical, moral, or legal to first acquire, and then use, the cells for human use and research. Stem cells can be obtained through a mother having an abortion, excess embryos through in vitro fertilization, or by saving the umbilical cord by freezing it and using it for future needs. The other controversial part of using embryos for stem cells is the idea that an embryo has the potential of becoming a human being and therefore should have a moral status the same as a person. These are the areas that mainly spark the debate over stem cells.