Stem Cell Research example essay topic

Crops that are Genetically Modified to produce drugs could cost the fraction of the price of drugs today, making it easier for all people to afford. In Africa and parts of Asia many people cannot afford basic drugs, therefore die from preventable diseases. GM crops could suppress pain, prevent conception and fight off infection". 'Pharming' [could be] the ultimate solution to many of the worlds problems". (Wertheim, M.) To 'pharm' GM crops means that they would contain defensive drugs against disease. Scientists insert genes that instruct a plant to make a specific chemical compound.

By introducing new genes, plants are in effect turned into pharmaceutical factories, expressing desired drugs in their leaves, seeds or fruit. Once scientists have spliced the genes into a plant, they can grow like any other crop and seeds can be distributed anywhere. When the initial work has been done, a scientific lab isn't needed at all, which means that poor nations could potentially grow their own drugs. In effect, with the help of GM crops perhaps one day, instead of getting a flu shot, one could "simply eat a banana" (Wertheim, M. ).

Stem Cell transplantation technology presents humanity with the potential to treat or cure countless amounts of diseases. "This technology will prove to be a human good... it can protect human life and enhance human dignity". (Hensley, S.) However, before stem cells can lead to human therapies there is a lot of research that needs to be done. When embryos are earlier than a week old, stem cells take place and exist there in an undifferentiated state for a very short amount of time before becoming other types of cells. During the course of development, they ultimately become skin cells, neurons, muscle, blood cells and every other of the 220 cell types that make up the tissues and organs of the human body. Stem cells are able to be cultured in the laboratory and ultimately directed to become specific types of cells or tissue.

The result of this could lead to the cure of a host of diseases such as juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, heart disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries, burns and many more. "Similarly, failing hearts and other organs, in theory, could be stored up by injecting healthy cells to replace damaged or diseased cells". (Author unknown). Amidst all the benefits of GE crops, there are fears surrounding health and safety issues within society.

Plants that contain genes encoded for powerfully active proteins such as hormones and pain killers would pose an enormous potential for disaster if not delivered in the correct dosage, or if eaten by wild life. The problem lies in stopping engineered genes from leaking out into other uncontrolled non-GM plants, and in users of GM crops being unable to measure the dosage of protein and hormones in a corncob or banana. "We need to be assured of zero tolerance, but that's almost impossible to guarantee" (Ell strand, N. ). The idea of zero tolerance is that all GM plants are kept under control and that nothing unwanted ever occurs in the consumption and reproduction of them in order to preserve economy, well-being and ecology within humanity. As for stem cell research, there are many ethical disputes surrounding the study, but one of the prime concerns is that science is "harvesting human beings for parts". Many pro- lifers believe that life begins upon conception, therefore using embryonic stem cells would mean killing a life for the benefit of scientific research.

I don't believe GE is a major crime to humanity. We have to be wary of the extent we wish to experiment with and must ask serious questions such as how old does a human embryo have to be before it's considered a human being? Personally, I believe that life begins 4 weeks prior to conception. I support stem cell research to the point where an embryo only has to be a week or so old to retrieve the cells, however, the embryo should not be allowed to culture for much longer than the initial week and a half. I support the idea of GM crops and believe that not only would these crops help humanity economically as well as in the way of cutting down casualty rates due to disease, but also that humanity would eventually adapt to the changes, just as it has with the introduction of cars and fluoride being added to household tap water.

652 words.