Embryonic and Adult Stem Cell Research Essay - 1359 Words

Embryonic and Adult Stem Cell Research With the advent of a wide variety of scientific advances in the medical field, especially those improvements in health-related fields, the quality of life for the earth’s inhabitants has improved greatly over the past century. Scientists continue to improve upon current knowledge and expand the field of medicine. Over the past few years, scientists have performed significant research pertaining to the study of stem cells. Many researchers see potential in the manipulation of stem cells - possible treatments for currently incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s (Goldstein). With these new discoveries, though, questions as to the morality of such practices arise. While few find an†¦show more content†¦Adult stem cells, like embryonic stem cells, have the ability to differentiate into several more specialized cell types, but the potential number of cell types is far smaller than that of an embryonic stem cell. Embryonic stem cells, by nature, eventually turn into every type of cell in the body, whereas adult stem cells will only turn into a few cell types. For example, a blood stem cell, one type of adult stem cell, will eventually turn into one of eight types of specialized blood cells (Jordan 116.3). Both types of stem cells allow researchers to easily perform a variety of experiments with DNA, mutations, and so forth, without harming any full grown human beings (Jordan 116-1). Since adult stem cells come from a wide variety of tissues in the human body - pancreas, brain, fat, skin, umbilical cord, placenta - they can be successfully harvested without causing any harm to the patient (Weise 78). On the other hand, embryonic stem cells, by definition, come from a four or five day-old developing embryo. Not only does the harvesting of embryonic stem cells without permission from the embryo blatantly violate the Nuremberg Code, which dictates guidelines for scientific research on human beings, but the extraction of such cells results in the destruction of the embryo (Weise 42-43). Because of the nature of embryonic stem cells - their ability to eventually turn into any type of cell inShow MoreRelatedEmbryonic And Adult Stem Cell Research Essay1093 Words   |  5 Pages but he is unaware that the type of sickle cell disease from which he is suffering can be cured using stem cells. Scientists have recorded two types of stem cells – embryonic and adult. Stem cells can be retrieved not only from embryos, but also umbilical cords, the placenta, amniotic fluid, and adult tissues and organs (â€Å"Stem Cells,† 2011, p.12). Stem cell research is only a small part of a much larger field of regenerative medicine that includes cell-based therapies, gene technology, and tissueRead MoreEmbryonic And Adult Stem Cell Research2165 Words   |  9 Pagesthe discovery of stem cells in the 19th Century. Stem cells have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009). According to the National Institutes of Health, embryonic stem cells derive from four to five day old embryos, also known as blastocyst, that have been fertilized in vitro and donated to research purposes with informed consent from the donors. Adult embryonic stem cells are found in differentiatedRead MoreAdult Stem Cells Vs. Embryonic Stem Cell Research1108 Words   |  5 Pages4/4/16 Adult Stem Cells vs. Embryonic Stem Cells â€Å"The unspecialized cells are differentiated cells created are known as stem cells† (Miller Ph.D., Levine Ph.D., 2012). Embryonic and Adult stem cells are the only types of stem cells. Stem cell research shows a good deal of promise in the aiding of curing diseases. Both embryonic and adult stem cells show promise in curing diseases, but it is unclear which type of stem cell is more effective. The human embryo for embryonic stem cell research requiresRead More Embryonic vs. Adult Stem Cells in Research Essay1615 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic vs. Adult Stem Cells in Research    Why is the mainstream media significantly downplaying exciting scientific discoveries with adult stem cells? This essay hopes to adequately answer that question. Heres the scoop: As originally reported late last year in the medical journal Blood, Dr. Catherine M. Verfaillie and other researchers at the Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, have discovered a way to coax an adult cell found in the bone marrow to exhibit many of the attributesRead MoreEmbryonic Of Stem Cell Research Essay1576 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Francois Rabelais, the famous Renaissance humanist, once said, â€Å"Science without conscience is the death of the soul† (Rabelais, Francois). Since the late 1960’s, this has been the stance for opponents of embryonic stem cell research. This is saying, if we are willing to take a fertilized embryo and kill it before it has even had time to develop, where is our conscience, our heart? We consider this form of stem cell research to be immoral and unethical. ScientistsRead MoreIs Stem Cell Research Ethical?1252 Words   |  6 Pages Is Stem Cell Research Ethical? The question that has been asked so many times, is stem cell research ethical? To argue ethics over this topic, one must first know what a stem cell is.Stem Cells are â€Å"cells with the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells† (Stem Cell Basics: Introduction). The National Institutes of Health say that stem cells are distinguished for two different reasons. The first is â€Å"they are unspecialized cells capable of renewingRead MoreBiomedical Engineering: Stem Cells Essay1584 Words   |  7 Pagesadvances 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 hum an beings (In Stem-cell Research† Para. 3). The usage of such stem cells has causedRead MoreEssay on Stem Cells: The Cure for Uncontrollable Diseases of the Past1246 Words   |  5 PagesGehrig’s disease, Sickle Cell Anemia, Alzheimer’s. This world is plague by countless diseases and there existed a time where, after many failed research attempts, scientists began to believe that people would always suffer from these diseases. However, with the introduction of stem cell research those past notions were dismissed. Upon their introduction, stem cell’s provided a new hope to the world and it proved itself to be an invaluable asset. Through stem cell research, a multitude of cures haveRead More Stem Cell Research Essay example988 Words   |  4 PagesStem Cell Research Stem cells are a large focus of study in todays biomedical world. Stem cell research offers the hope of transplants being done without the sacrifice of another person losing an organ. There are many different pros and cons when it comes to discussing the use of stem cells. In order to develop an opinion of whether or not stem cells should be used, one must first understand what they are and how they are used. ?Stem cells have the remarkable potential to developRead MoreStem Cells And Stem Cell Research1477 Words   |  6 Pagessociety is that of stem cells. Stem cells are the cells in the early human developmental stage that form to be any type of cell. Not only do these cells have the ability to transform, but they also act as the body’s repair system. With this knowledge, the scientific community has used these traits to help cure diseases and even save lives. However, there is a problem using stem cells for research. There are two kinds of stem cells that exist, Somatic stem cells and embryonic stem cells. The first