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An understanding of the types, characteristics, and important benefits of stem cells Aids in understanding the ethical and social considerations of this controversy. There are Two main types of stem cells. One type, embryonic, uses the undifferentiated cells of an Early human embryo to create any new, specialized type of cell (Brignier and Gewirtz S337). Embryonic stem cells are very useful for cell based therapies because they can Develop into more than 220 cell types that are found in an adult, and they have the ability To reproduce in large numbers. They are capable of almost unlimited cell divisions when Placed in culture. This makes embryonic stem cells very flexible and versatile. Using Stem cells to learn about the ways that these cells differentiate, grow, and renew will also Have profound results in the study and cure of cancers, birth defects, diabetes, and spinal cord Injuries, and other diseases caused by dysfunctional cell replication. Research on 3 Embryonic stem cells can also improve drug safety, as a drug can be tested on a stem cell Line before use in a patient (Louis 2009). The embryonic stem cells are extracted from The inner cell mass during the early blastocyst phase of embryonic development. After an Egg is fertilized, generally during in vitro in the laboratory, it begins dividing. The Blastocyst is a hollow ball of about 150 cells. The inner cell mass are the cells located in The inner part of the ball, and once extracted, the embryo is no longer viable or living (Monk 35). Hence, the controversy arises with destruction of the embryo. The use of the other type of stem cells, adult stem cells, in research and treatments Does not destroy an embryo. But adult stem cell applications have limitations, as will be Noted. Research and therapies involving adult stem cells use specialized cells found in Adults in areas such as the brain or bone

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