Negative Essay On Stem Cells

People live and breathe every day, never stopping to think about what they are: perfect machines called the human body. Well, only so perfect, as every creation is not without its flaws. Some flaws, however, can be remedied with a substance every person is born with: stem cells. Stem cells are very unique in their properties and political drawing, but questions still remain about stem cells and their affects on people and politics. Stem cells are a valuable resource with a potential to be marketed to numerous people, but questions and conflict arise when the topic is brought up: what are stem cells, how can they be used, and how do stem cells divide and impact a nation through politics and religion. Stem cells are an anomaly compared …show more content…
There are actually many different types of stem cells that can be used to help diseased people. One of these is the embryonic stem cell. Human embryonic stem cells come from a blastocyst, and are called pluripotent cells because they have the ability to differentiate into any other type of cell. Embryonic stem cells are harvested when the blastula is removed from the uterus. Embryonic stem cells have the advantage over other types of stem cells in that they can remain in their undifferentiated state for as long as they need to (Haerens 13-14). Embryonic stem cells can also be created through other different processes, not just natural fertilization. In vitro fertilization is another method to produce viable blastocysts that can be used for medical or research purposes. Also, nuclear transfer is a process that can create a blastocyst full of embryonic stem cells (Haerens …show more content…
Embryonic stem cells can be used in a wide variety of treatments, and they excel because of their ability to transform into any other type of cell. Because they can change into any type of cell, they can be used to repair specific parts of the body that other stem cells cannot. They are the master key to the body, but if placed in the body undifferentiated, they can form cancer because they are a foreign substance (Flatow, “Is Stem Cell”). Adult stem cells, on the other hand, are not that susceptible to cancer causing mutations, but they have the disadvantage of turning into the type of cell they were taken from. This can be a positive thing, though, because blood stem cells can be used to specifically treat blood cancers like leukemia. Also, adult stem cells are not nearly as controversial as embryonic stem cells, so most patients are open to using them as a treatment method (Flatow, “Is Stem Cell”). Lastly, cloned stem cells are a mix between the two other types of stem cells. They are not taken from embryos, so no life is being destroyed, but they also have the properties of embryonic stem cells (Flatow, “Research Report”). The future is heading towards cloned stem cells, and hopefully controversy does not stop them on their way to cure