The Benefits of Stem Cell Research Essay example -- Papers Science Bio

The Benefits of Stem Cell Research Stem cells are considered â€Å"master cells† with the ability to divide for indefinite periods in cultures and can be manipulated and transformed into any type of cell in the body. The most common use would be the generation of cells and tissues that could be used to either create organs or tissues to be used in transplantation and to treat many diseases and disabilities. There is a great difference of opinion surrounding stem cell research; conservatives and pro-choice activists are highly against further research, but the tremendous advances in health care and President Bush’s recent decision to fund more research, have made the future of stem cells seem much more promising. In every ground breaking scientific topic there seems to be controversy, and stem cells are no exception. Stem cell research is so controversial because the best source of stem cells are derived from human fetal tissue. Removing the stem cells destroys the embryo, which leads many people to believe this process to be immoral. One advantage of using stem cells found in embryos is their ability to transform themselves into almost every type of cell in the body. There are also not enough adult stem cells to allow for therapeutic applications, like transplants to regenerate tissues or organs that were damaged by disease. Adult stem cells are rare and are many times hard to identify, isolate, and purify. However, stem cells found in the embryo can be generated in large quantities in the laboratory. Many people argue that human embryos should not be the subjects of stem cell research that would benefit anyone other than the embryos themselves. Embryos are still human beings and just because they are immature hu... ...purpose of stem cell research. Generous funding on ethical issues was spent on current and future research, along with generous funding for research relevant to fetal, embryonic, and adult stem cells. With the enormous potential of stem cells developing new treatments for some of the most devastating diseases, it is crucial to search for the best sources of stem cells, regardless of where they come from. There are many pros and cons encompassing this issue with the pro-choice activists and conservatives being so avidly against it, with the remarkable advances in health care the research brings, and with President Bush’s decision to go ahead with further research. Even though there is still a great deal of controversy surrounding the issue of stem cell research, I think all people can agree that whoever saves one life is as if he saved an entire world.