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Is Stem Cell Research Ethical

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Is Stem Cell Research Ethical?

Reginald Lawrence

Is it ethical for stem cells for the advancement of medical research? In the 1800s it was discovered certain cells could generate other cells. The 1900s brought upon more research in using stem cells. The ethical issue surrounding embryonic stem cells research arises because human embryos are destroyed in the process. I believe that the benefits outweigh the negatives and that a greater good can come out of using embryonic stem cells.
The treatment of diseases and illnesses continually grows and improves. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to help rectify or even cure disease and illnesses that are thought to be incurable. However, the ethical battle over the sanctity of life rages on.
Stem cells can be compared to the building blocks of the human body. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, they can develop into any other type of cell in the body. They are extracted from a cell before they differentiate. They have the capacity to make any of the 200 different cells in the body and can also self-renew or reproduce themselves. Currently, there are 89 stem cell lines, a family of constantly dividing cells, registered with the National Institute of Health (NIH). The first line was discovered in 1998.
In 1996 Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, which put restrictions on federally funding embryonic stem cell research if the embryo was created to be destroyed. In 2001, President Bush implemented guidelines to receive federal money which President Obama recently overturned. The new process no longer considers when stem was created but makes sure that strict guidelines were followed on how the embryo was obtained, who consented and payment was not given for the embryo.
This is where the possibility of treating and preventing diseases was born. Stem cells serve as a repair system for the body; they

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