morals and stem cell research

TERM

Ethics and Stem Cell Research

INTRODUCTION

Stem cell research has been one of the most widely discussed issues nowadays . It has medical , scientific , social , economic , political , and moral implications that make it a critical issue worth debating

A stem cell is a type of cell that has the potential to develop into other types such as heart , nerve , and muscle cells . It is basically classified into two kinds : adult and embryonic stem cells , depending on their origin

Since they can develop into other types of cell , there exists a

br possibility that they can be used as a form of therapy for diseases due to cell damage . Multiple sclerosis , Parkinson 's disease , and diabetes are some of the diseases due to the inability of certain cells to reproduce . With the discovery of stem cells , the cure for these diseases may have been found as well

However , the ethics of the researches regarding stem cells have been put into question . To obtain an embryonic stem line , for example requires the destruction of an embryo . Whether or not it is morally and socially acceptable to destroy an embryo to give way for the possibility that it can in turn save more lives remains a debatable of today Another controversy on the issue involves the rights to life which an embryo or a group of cells ' is entitled to

theless , researches have recognized the potential use of stem cells in providing cure for the world 's most prominent diseases . Some successful researches have already given way to medical treatments using stem cells

This reviews background information on stem cell research and cites recent developments on the . Moreover , different points of views regarding the moral implications of the subject matter are also presented

THE PROBLEM

The main conflict on stem cell research does not involve the use of stem cells for medical purposes per se but the source of the stem cells being used for the experiments

In vitro fertilization often results in the fertilization of more than one egg . Thus , excess embryos exist . Embryonic stem cells are obtained from these embryos . On the other hand , an adult stem cell is obtained from differentiated cells of tissues or organs since one of its functions is for repair and cell renewal . They can also be found in the bone marrow (National Institute of Health [NIH] , 2006

Besides their origin , embryonic and adult stem cells also differ in their capacity to develop to other cell types . Since embryonic cells are formed earlier and are completely undifferentiated , they have a greater potential to develop into various cells . However , adult stem cells often are limited to develop only into cells which are subtypes of their tissue or organ of origin . For example , hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all the types of blood cells such as red blood cells , white blood cells , and platelets

Embryonic stem cells are thus said to have a greater potential for use in medical treatments . They are also easier...