...Stem Cell research is a very controversial topic in today’s society. This topic brings up many ethical questions about it is right to do the research or not. Stem cells come from embryos that are only a few days old. The ethical issues that arise are many. If one believes that an embryo is a baby upon fertilization, then one would feel that this was unethical to do the research no matter what the benefits would be. On the other hand, some feel the benefits of what can be learned from stem cell research outweighs the ethical and moral dilemmas that are argued. This long debate brings about many questions about the ethical approaches, that there have been restrictions placed on the research in the lines of what type of embryos can be used for the research. Ethical or not there are always two sides to debate, stem cell research is no different. Throughout this paper I will discuss the ethical issues that stem cell research brings into light and the benefits that stem cell research brings into light that may just outweigh the ethical issues, then determine it these benefits and ethical issues really make stem cell research the most beneficial way to help cure diseases such as juvenile diabetes, Parkinson’s disease or even spinal cord or neck injuries. Argument for Research Stem Cell research can help scientist discover more about human cells and how they grow, change, and replace damaged cells within the body. The information that can be learned is priceless. Using this research...
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...Embryonic stem cell research has been a topic of controversy since the 1980’s when the practice started. Originally this type of research was banned by the federal government, but in 2009 Obama lifted the federal ban and allowed some funding. This type of research has not been accepted by American law or as a common convention. Stem cells have the ability to develop into many different types of cells such as nerve cells, cardiac cells, and liver cells and have regenerate to replace damaged cells. Stem cell research can be so beneficiary to lives and be an extraordinary scientific achievement. The problem is not many people agree. In this type of situation there is no in between the two arguments. Stem cell research should be permitted because...
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...CLAIM: President Bush’s veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act in July of 2006 was a proportional reaction to the expanding influence of conservative political ideology and religious fundamentalism throughout America. VARIABLES: My independent variables are conservative political ideology and religious fundamentalism. My dependant variable is President Bush’s 2006 veto of the Stem Cell Enhancement Act, also known as the H.R. 810 Bill. EXPECTATIONS: I expect to find overwhelming and convincing evidence to corroborate my assertion that the expanding influence of conservative political ideology and religious fundamentalism in America are the two most profound independent variables to affect President Bush’s 2006 veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. I also expect to obtain convincing evidence that political conservatism and religiosity have an interactive effect on the public attitude towards stem cell research which directly influences federal policy concerning this controversial issue. It is my contention that the preponderance of evidence will confirm my theory that as the level of conservatism and religious zeal rises; the public support and enthusiasm for stem cell research will wane proportionally, resulting in federal policies that continue to be restrictive and obtuse. EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS THE CLAIM: With the advent of technology and subsequent advances in human stem cell research, the scientific and medical communities were inspired...
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...world in science and technology. American technology has produced advances in many areas of medicine. As this medical research continues, there has controversy between advancing medicine through testing and preserving life. In the United States and around the world, there have been debates and laws created which demonstrate the controversy in stem cell research. One of the main debates is that stem research can be used to discover cures for illness. Many experts believe stem cell research can be used to help against diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer (Lacayo, 2001). However, many people worry that stem cell research will be used for unethical purposes such as human cloning. They also argue that money from the government should not be used to destroy a human embryo. In the United States and around the world there have been many laws regarding stem cell research. President Bush was the first President that made funds available for stem cell research. (Bush, 2007). According to the National Institute of Health, a government biomedical research organization, President George W Bush announced in August, 2001 a policy which advances stem cell research. Federal funds may be used for research on human embryonic stem cells if the following three requirements are met: 1) the destruction of the embryo must be prior to August 9, 2001, 2) stem cells were removed from embryo for the purpose of reproduction, which “was no longer needed.” 3) the donor had informed consent...
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...Experimentation Critique Stem Cells Abstract According to human guidelines, human stem cell research is questionable. The main ethical dilemma revolves around whether or not an embryo is a human being of a cluster of cells. Stem cell research has the ability to provide treatment for many of today’s incurable diseases and disorders, and it is apparent this type of research produces many ethical issues in which one can consider both positive and negative for such research. Experimentation Critique Introduction Stem cell research is a modern method of discovering new medical break throughs. Research is involoved, using human embryos, causing heated moral debates. Human –nature and goal-based ethics theories apply to this controversial debate. The debate lies in the determionation of the embryos with moral status is owed. There has been extensive research in the underlying law and religious ethics surrounding the use of embryos for medical reasons. Discussed, is the debate, controversy, and opinion of government officials, in relation to the ethics involving stem cell research. Issues/Conflict Stem cell research proposes many ethical issues. The basis of this issue is that embryonic stem cells research holds such vast promise for so many people but obtaining the cell means destroying embryos. The ethical conflict brought on by stem cells means destroying embryos. The ethical conflict brought on by stem cell research is whether or not it is acceptable by social standards...
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...Name: Jeanette Khoury Title: Stem Cells Save Lives 1. Excite a. Good afternoon everyone b. I am honored to have been given the opportunity to speak with you all today. c. What if you or someone you know was told they would not be able to walk within the next 10 years but there is a cure out there that you are unable to have? 2. Launch d. I am here today to speak with you about the potential uses of stem cells, the funding for stem cell research and the ethical debates of stem cell research. e. If you knew that there might be a potential cure for a disease, would you want the government to follow the lead and explore the possibilities? The answer for me is yes. 3. Relate f. Four years ago, my aunt was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told that she may not be able to walk in 10 years. g. While there currently is not a cure for MS, the use of stem cells will have a huge impact on treatments and possibly a future cure for this awful disease. 4. Persuade h. Stem cell research can have a significant impact in many areas of medicine. i. There are a variety of diseases and injuries in which a patient’s cells or tissues are destroyed and require organ or tissue transplants. 1. Stem cells are able to potentially create brand new tissue 2. Stem cells may be able to cure diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, type 1 Diabetes, spinal cord injuries, stroke...
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...Recent advances in human stem cell research have not only generated enormous enthusiasm on the part of researchers and optimistic predictions of revolutionary advances in biomedicine, but have also sparked considerable ethical and emotional public debate. There has been much controversy in the press about pros and cons of stem cell research . The important question to think about is Why the prospect of stem cell therapy has been greeted not as an innovation to be welcomed but as a threat to be resisted? The enormous capabilities of stem cells announce the beginning of an extraordinary advanced field of medicine that can help to cure deadly diseases . The present method , however, destroys human blastocyst that gives rise to intense controversy. (Monroe, Miller, & Tobis , 2008, p. 1) Stem cell controversy is the ethical debate centered on research involving the creation, usage and destruction of human embryonic stem cells. Around the world, many people believe that human embryo research , including the deliberate creation of embryos for valid research or clinical purposes , is wrong . Due to the controversy , some people argues that we should allow stem cell research but some of them are not in favour of stem cell research . According to S Holm , the author of Going to the Roots of Stem Cell Controversy, “A stem cell is a non – differentiated cell that can divide and multiply in its undifferentiated state, but which can also give rise to more specialized...
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...Stem Cell Research At the end of the twentieth century, the United States began to fade away from traditional medicine and slowly moved their focuses onto areas that had yet to be explored, such as stem cell research. With this change, the United States took a small step toward the beginning of a technological metamorphosis. As the nation began making paces toward the age of technology, new inventions as well as new types of equipment were developed to improve our well-being and way of life. During this time, many researchers in science and medical fields also began to benefit from these new inventions and cutting edge technological research; the most notably one being the recent approval of tax payers money to aid stem cell research. Stem cells are the basic building blocks from which the cells of every tissue in the body grow. Because of their unique ability to develop into different types of tissue, they could potentially be used to replace tissue damaged or destroyed by disease. They offer much hope for medical advancement because of their ability to grow into almost any kind of cell. For instance, the neural cells in the brain and spinal cord could never naturally repair itself, but it could be replaced by new healthy stem cells. In treatment of Cancer, whether it be part of the brain, heart, liver, lungs, or whatever, new healthy stem cells can adapt to the affected cell area that are destroyed by radiation or chemotherapy (Pro). Implementing this research requires...
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...RESEARCH TOPIC: What Makes Most Christians fundamentalist opposed to Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research? RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Scientists have the view that, the use of Human Embryonic Stem Cell will help to cure some diseases like Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and several medical disorders sickness. If this is true, then why are the Christian fundamentalist opposing a research that many people believe it is going to save many lives? Are the Christian fundamentalist using their religious belief or their educational (scientific) knowledge in supporting their argument? Have they conducted any research to find out any harmful effect that Embryonic Stem Cell will bring to people? THREE SOURCES FOR THE RESEARCH Richard M. Doer flinger, Old...
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...Stem cell research and therapy Stephanie Reeves Rasmussen College Author Note This paper is being submitted on August 3, 2014, for Ellen Doyles’ Human Biology course. Stem cell research and therapy Stem cell research has great significance for medical use. They have the ability to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. They can also serve as a repair system to many tissues, by dividing without limitation to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. Stem cells are the body’s raw materials. Stem cell research has created quite the controversy and has been a topic of debate for over a decade. There are 3 types of stem cells that are currently being used in stem cell research and therapies; Embryotic, Adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells. There are a few characteristics that differ between these types of stem cells Embryotic stem cells can become all cell types of the body because they are pluripotent, and can be grown relatively easy in culture. Adult stem cells are thought to be limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue origin, and are rare in mature tissues which makes it difficult to isolate these cells in adult tissue, and methods to expand their numbers in cell culture has not been worked out as of today. Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult cells that have been genetically altered to have properties of embryonic stem cells. ...
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...Stem Cell 2 The debate and controversy on stem cell research is so pervasive and passionate that we can get lost in the argument. Let us first explain what the definition of stem cell is: A stem cell is a “generic” cell that can make exact copies of itself indefinitely. In addition, a stem cell has the ability to produce specialized cells for various tissues in the body such as heart muscle, brain tissue, and liver tissue. Scientists are able to maintain stem cells forever, developing them into specialized cells as needed. There are two basic types of stem cell: Embryonic stem cells- these are obtained from either aborted fetuses or fertilized eggs that are left over from in vitro fertilization (IVF). They are useful for medical and research purposes because they can produce cells for almost every tissue in the body. Adult stem cells- these are not as versatile for research purposes because they are specific to certain cell types, such as blood, intestines, skin, and muscle. The term “adult stem cell” may be misleading because both children and adults have them (Healthline, online). The most controversial one is embryonic stem cells because it brings up a huge debate from research opponents who say it is wrong because it destroys human life and supporters say the embryos were going to be destroyed anyway, and that research from their cells holds the potential to cure debilitating diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Creating embryos intended only for research...
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...Real Promise of Stem Cell Research Dr. David Prentice, HealthNewsDigest.com 2 Derivation of Human Stem-Cell Lines from Human Blastocysts, C. A. Cowan and others. March 25, 2004, New England Journal of Medicine, p.1355 with secondary reference to footnotes 13-17 p.1356. Stem Cell Research Pros The following article is a take on the ongoing debate related to stem cell research pros and cons. The stem cell research information covered in the article below will help you understand the potential of this new research for the benefit of humanity. [pic] Stem cell research, sounds like a plot from a best-selling novel by Robin Cook. However, it's not just a fictional thought, but a reality making waves in genetic research. There is a lot of controversy surrounding stem cell research. There are two groups formed, one supporting and the other against embryonic stem cell research. Both groups use the advantages and disadvantages of stem cell as the basis of arguments. We too shall discuss some of the stem cell research pros in the following paragraphs. This research is a major breakthrough in the scientific world. It is important to understand the positive points of this discovery before we push it over to the recycle bin. Let us have a look at the advantages stem cell research to shed some positive light on this debatable topic. What are Stem Cells? Let's first brush up on our basic, by beginning with some information related to what are stem cells. Stem cells are basically...
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...Scientific research has come a long way since the first use of human embryos to treat and prevent diseases. The polio vaccine was invented in the 1950’s from the use of human fetal kidney cells, fetuses in uteri were used to develop techniques like amniocenteses and improving knowledge about congenital heart disease in the 1970’s, and in the 1980’s the transplantation of fetal tissue into adults to help with serious conditions like, diabetes or Parkinson’s (Gold, 2004). While there has always been concern and controversy over the use of human embryonic cells, today the debate is ethical. This ethical debate lies within the destruction of human embryos in order to use them for medical research. This paper will talk about how two different theories; utilitarianism and relativism view this ethical issue and the problem it presents, as well as my personal views on use of embryonic stem cell research. The theory of utilitarianism determines what is best by looking at the results of an act. According to Mosser (2010, section 1.7), “utilitarianism argues that, given a set of choices, the act we should choose is that which produces the best results for the greatest number affected by that choice.” When looking at the use of embryonic stem cells for research, utilitarianism looks at the end result. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to save lives by curing diseases and through the use of transplantation. While some utilitarianism’s may still view the destruction of these cells as the...
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...Jean-Marie Lux Biology 121 Stem Cell Research Paper September 12, 2012 Stem cell research is a relatively new field and has made huge advances in the past fifty years. The idea of stem cells was first made public by a Russian-American Scientist named Alexander Maksimov in 1908. However it was not until 1963 that two Canadian Scientists were able to actually demonstrate the existence of self-renewing cells found in the bone marrow of mice. The Scientists were James E. Till and Ernest A. McCulloch. So although Maksimov was the first person who put the idea of stem cells out there, it is really Till and McCulloch who are credited with proving that stems cells actually existed. Since Till and McCulloch, many Scientist have contributed to the huge advances in stem cell research. In 1968, the first successful bone marrow transplant was conducted on two siblings suffering from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), a primary immune deficiency which typically results in the onset of one or more serious infections within the first few months of life. These infections are usually serious, and may even be life threatening. In 1978, the presence of Haematopoietic stem cells were discovered in human cord blood cells. Haematopoietic stem cells, are multipotent stem cells that give rise to all the blood cell types. In 1981, Scientist were able to derive embryonic stem cells from mice. One of the biggest advancements in all stem cell research came in 1997 when a link between...
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...Stem Cell Research Stem cells are generic cells that can make exact duplicates of themselves indefinitely and can be used to form specialized cells of each tissue type. They are the foundation for every cell in the body. Stem cells are unique because they can self-sustain and replicate themselves. Scientists have found that stem cells can be programmed to perform many special functions in a body. There are two main types of stem cells that scientists have found to be the most promising in the reproduction of tissues. They are adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can be found in the earliest stages of fetuses. Embryonic stem cells are unique because they can be programmed to be any kind of cell in the body. Embryonic research has been experimented much more on mice. There have been no proven tests on human embryonic cells. Adult stem cells are not as much of a heated debate as embryonic stem cells are. “The use of ESC’s (embryonic stem cells) is unacceptable to some people because they can only be harvested from embryos that are destroyed in the process” (Aldhous, Reich). Embryonic stem cells have to be taken from an unborn fetus, while adult stem cells can be acquired from a fully developed being. From the highest political viewpoint embryonic stem cell research is not looked upon with fondness. The Bush administration shut down all government funding of embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cells, also referred to as multi-potent cells...
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