The Ethics Of Stem Cell Research - 1557 Words

The new millennium has brought with it astonishing discoveries in biomedical sciences. Microarray technology, completion of the human genome sequence and improved efficiencies of drug discovery, ultrahigh screening technologies brought modern society into completely new approach of treating major chronic diseases that seemed to be dreadful for life in the earlier stages of humanity. Along with these outstanding medical advances a self-renewing stem cell that regenerates and gives rise to all cells and tissues of the body was discovered. The controversy of such finding of abilities of stem cell is that they can only be extracted from the human embryo. In order to extort stem cells from the embryo it needs to be aborted. The extraction needs†¦show more content†¦Stem cells have an extraordinary potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. They serve as a repair system by replenishing other cells in a human’s or animal’s organism. It divides wi thout limit and is able to transform into another type of cell with a more specialized function which is missing in the body. Such cells can be a muscle cell, a brain cell, or a red blood cell. Stem cells are essential for many reasons. They give rise to the entire body of the organism, including many organs like eggs, heart, sperm, skin, lungs and etc. Stem cells also precipitate replacements for cells that are lost through injury, disease, normal wear, or tear in adult marrow, brain, and muscle. Stem cells, with their unique regenerative abilities, have great potential in treating many diseases including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and birth defects. Scientists use stem cells in their research to develop modal systems which help them to study normal growth of an organism and to determine the causes of birth defects. Authors in their book The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy w rite about the benefits of stem cells for those who suffer from different diseases, â€Å"Patients with stroke or spinal cord injuries could receive cell-based treatments that would restore central nervous system function, thereby enabling them to maintain functional independence† (page 3). Well known