Supporting Stem Cell Research Essay - 1691 Words

In August 2010, Hannah Warren, a Korean baby girl was born with no windpipe. When Hannah was delivered, she was blue, and her doctors had to force a tube down her throat so she could breathe properly. Following some tests, the doctors found that Hannah had been born without a trachea. Hannah’s parents were told most children in her condition didn’t survive, and that she had a very low chance as well. However, she continued to grow bigger and stronger, and her family kept searching the internet for possible treatments. The family found information concerning stem cells and their use in regenerative medicine, and learned about a physician who was creating windpipes out of stem cells and transplanting them into patients. The family got into†¦show more content†¦Department of Health and Human Services). Stem cells can be classified in one of three categories: embryonic stem cells, somatic or â€Å"adult† stem cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells. Embryon ic stem cells, as the name suggests, come from embryos. Only relatively recently have stem cells actually been made from human embryos; from 1981 until 1998, stem cells were grown exclusively for laboratory mice from mice. Today, however scientists are able to grow stem cells through a few techniques. One such technique uses embryos left over from in vitro fertilization. These embryos are willingly donated to research facilities. To obtain stem cells from actual embryos, scientists transfer cells from the existing embryo into a dish full of a culture medium that serves as nourishment to the cells. Here, the cells divide rapidly and can then be transferred into more culture dishes and allowed to grow further or be used in scientific research (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). The acquisition of embryonic stem cells can be somewhat controversial. For instance, many believe that it is wrong to sacrifice embryos for stem cell research. However, many embryos used to create s tem cells are ones that would have gone to waste in a fertility clinic’s freezer anyways. So instead of wasting the unused embryos, we are putting them to good use andShow MoreRelatedThe Use Of Embryonic Stem Cells In Medicine1472 Words   |  6 Pagesdisease? Embryonic Stem Cells can be used to treat many different diseases, but some people have their opinion that using these stem cells in medicine is unethical because they are coming from a human embryo. There are countries that have banned the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine, and in America there are people arguing that it should be banned here. But what about all of the lives that these stem cells are saving, what if research continues and these embryonic stem cells end up being a cureRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Essay1429 Words   |  6 Pagesdisease? Embryonic Stem Cells can be used to treat many different diseases, but some people have their opinion that using these stem cells in medicine is unethica l because they are coming from a human embryo. There are countries that have banned the use of embryonic stem cells in medicine, and in America there are people arguing that it should be banned here. But what about all of the lives these stem cells are saving, what if research continues and these embryonic stem cells end up being a cureRead MoreStem Cell Essay1061 Words   |  5 Pagestreated with the use of embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are cells derived from the undifferentiated inner mass cells of human embryo. In simpler terms, these cells have the ability of developing into any of the two hundred different cell types in our bodies. Unlike most of the cells in our bodies, such as heart cells or skin cells, which conduct a specific function, a stem cell does not have a specific function until it is specialized (Hogan). A stem cell that is becoming specialized willRead MoreStem Cell Research: The Debate Over Federal Funding Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesEmbryonic St em Cell Research: Pro-Federal Funding The Alliance for Aging Research is a non-profit organization that promotes the use of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. As an agency geared toward improving the health of human beings as they age, some of their responsibilities include lobbying for federal legislation, conducting studies and surveys, and creating and distributing educational materials to health care professionals and the public. With Baby Boomers closely reachingRead MoreThe Misleading Debate On Stem Cell Research853 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The misleading debate on stem cell research† written by Mona Charen is a cautionary tale of the escalating manner in which life will be dehumanized should society begin to support this research with federal funding. Stem cell research crosses a moral line that society should be reluctant to cross even for the best intentions (Charen). Stem cell research has been picketed by pro-lifers since the first whispers of its use. The results of stem cell res earch are rarely attacked since we really don’tRead MoreThe Debate Over Embryonic Stem Cell Research852 Words   |  4 Pagesknowledge of stem cell research has already created the ability for doctors to print a functional organ just as easily as people can print a persuasive research essay. With great medical advancements comes great controversy. The main way researchers have been studying stem cells is by harvesting undifferentiated embryonic stem cells. Those who oppose embryonic stem cell research claim that stem cell harvesting damages and kills the un-born embryo; however, because of advancements in the stem cell harvestingRead MoreEssay on Treatment Using Stem Cells655 Words   |  3 PagesStem cells are undifferentiated cells, or cells that can differentiate into different cells. Stem cells are often divided into two different classes: embryonic and adult. Adult stem cells can turn into many, but not all, cells, allowing these cells to be used in the treatment of so me problems. Because of this, adult stem cells are often considered â€Å"multipotent†. Embryonic stem cells can become any type of cell and any organ, creating great optimism in medical fields. Because of this, embryonic stemRead MoreMorality And Money : Stem Cell Research990 Words   |  4 PagesMoney: Stem Cell Research In 2001, with 22 human embryonic stem cell lines established, President George W. Bush signed legislation which prevented new, additional stem cell lines from being created and tightened restrictions on federal stem cell research funding. This legislation effectively constrained human embryonic stem cell research until 2009, when President Barack Obama reversed Bush’s legislation and relaxed the funding criteria. There are now 195 human embryonic stem cell linesRead More Both Sides of Stem Cell Research Essay889 Words   |  4 PagesStem Cell Research Paper Stem cell research has been quite a controversial topic since its origin in the 1960s by Gopal Das and Joseph Altman. Of course, anything that uses a human embryo would be. Stem cell research could open a vast number of new doors for modern science, it could let us test new drugs, one of which could be the unfound cure for AIDS or Alzheimer’s disease. However, this branch of science comes at a high price, the price of a human life that is only five to six days old (NIH)Read MoreThe Evolution Of Stem Cell Research991 Words   |  4 PagesHISTORY: The history of stem cell research starts with the discovery of the cell in the mid 1800s (1). With this discovery, scientists soon discovered that some cells can specialize and become other cells – these cells that can specialize are called stem cells. The phrase stem cell was first used in a scientific fiction novel by German biologist Ernst Haeckel; he used the phrase to describe the fertilized egg that will eventually grow to become an organism. The next notable usage of the phrase would