Stem Cell Research In Order example essay topic

Stem cell research is a very complex argument. There are people that feel that stem cell research should not have even been introduced into our society. However, there are others that feel that stem cell research could change many lives. Those who feel it could change many lives are right in many people's eyes. With the advancement of stem cell research, we would be able to help many people with such diseases as heart disease and Alzheimer's.

Stem cells could also help others with dibilating diseases and those who have suffered some very unfortunate accident. One particularly known person who supports the stem cell research was Christopher Reeves, who was paralyzed in an accident. Other people that believe that the research is unethical since the best way to get stem cells is from embryos, in which the embryo is killed in order to take the stem cells. The biggest obstacle for stem cell research would have to be, killing the human embryo in order to take the stem cells.

Many of those that oppose the research believe that is murder, since many religions, such as the Catholic Church, believe that the embryo has a soul, therefore, it is considered murder and a sin. There are other ways of getting the cells, which do not require the killing of embryos. One way to get the stem cells would be from taking them from an adult source. However, those are sometimes not as abundant as those taken from embryos. There is a chance that the cells could be harvested from the Umbilical cords donated from newborns. There are other instances of the cells being taken from those of aborted babies.

If the mothers do not want to keep the baby, why not have them donated to the stem cell research, in order to help someone else. Also, there are the embryos that are left in the fertility clinics. Those embryos are going to be destroyed anyway, why not donate those that are grown to the stem cell research. With the stem cell research, there could be many lives saved by the research alone. However, there is no estimate to the lives that stem cell research could save and there is no number of those that have been saved by stem cell research. In fact, there is no human research to date that states that stem cells are going to work.

Stem cells have been shown to grow items such as heart tissue and spinal tissue along with many other organs. There are some that have benefited from stem cell research, not those of embryonic stem cells but those of adult stem cells. The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics, states that adult stem cells have shown to be more effective than the embryonic stem cells. Adult bone marrow cells have shown immune tolerance and have not been rejected.

The adult stem cells can also repair the retina of the eye, grow new blood vessels, and stimulate the growth in children with bone disease. Dr. Ronald McKay, stem cell researcher at the National Institute of Disorders and Stroke, believes that the reasons for such hype in embryonic cells is that people need a fairy tale and that the adult stem cells are just as effective. If stem cells can help such people with heart disease, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's why would we want to let these people die in such a way. Many of these diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, which attack the nervous system cells would be able to get back to their own lives and not have to suffer from such a debilitating disease. Others feel that it is almost like playing god and that changing something that would occur naturally is unethical. Still, the main conflict that lies with stem cell research is that of killing the embryos in order to extract the stem cells.

Another side of research is where the embryos will come from. There are many types of stem cells that can be used. But, the main focus is on those of embryonic stem cells. Stem cells can be harvested from those left behind after in-vitro fertilization. Many of those eggs are going to be destroyed, so why not let those be donated to the research rather than just destroying them.

Others still feel that the embryo is a human life and that extracting stem cells from embryos is like killing a human being. It has been shown in countless articles that the embryo, once fertilized, shows a heart beat after just eight weeks. However, there is another way of harvesting stem cells, which would eliminate the use of embryos. Stem cells can now be harvested in labs or taken from adult stem cells which have been shown to have a better chance to not the be rejected by the body. In light of all the new findings, including being able to grow the cells rather than harvest them, why would we not want to consider stem cell research? Many groups are trying to ensure the success of stem cell research, while others try to ensure its failure.

My thought on the issue would be to allow the research to go on, especially if the cells are able to be grown in labs and not harvested. My view does not support that of the killing of embryos, but rather cells could help many sick people in the world and could even help cure many of those diseases. With the many claims that extracting stem cells is nothing but murder and the claims showing how it can help others, I feel that stem cell research just may be the key to helping many people. If it could help save someone in your family, would you still be against it? As long as cells are being grown in the labs rather than having them harvested, wouldn't it actually be best for all of us? To be able to help those suffering with heart disease, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's, and many other diseases wouldn't it be worth fighting to support stem cell research.