Stem_Cell_Research

What are stem cells and where are they found' Stem cells are un-programmed cells which have the potential to grow into the 300+ different kinds of cells in the human body. The different types of stem cells – where can they be harvested from' Totipotent, pluripotent and multipotent all contain “potent”. Potency is the state of being potent. Potent and potency both derive from potential, the capability of doing something. Cell differentiation is when the developing organism needs to create the various types of cells. Totipotent is the term to describe for stem cells that can become any kind of cell in the body. In Latin, “Toti” means “total”, so the stem cell can be thought of as total potential. These are found in the early stages of the newly fertilized egg, or zygote. Pluripotent is the term to describe for a stem cell that can become almost any kind of cell. In Latin, “Pluri” means “more”, so the stem cell can be thought of having “more” potential. These cells are found in the inner cell mass. Multipotent is the term to describe for stem cells that can differentiate into a range of cell types, though limited. In Latin, “Multi” means “much” so it can be thought of having “much” potential. This form of stem cell can be found in the umbilical cord. What are the goals of stem cell research' Stem cells have been researched for decades, with the research all based around questions of why we age, get sick or get permanent injuries. Ultimately trying to understand why humans don't live forever. What can stem cells be used for in the future/now' Current research on stem cells suggests that they may be able to cure the incurable diseases like Parkinson's disease and Tay-Sach's disease. Stem cells may be able to be used to regrow heart tissue, liver cells, cells affiliated with diabetes, bone marrow and cells involved in some auto-immune diseases. Researchers’ state their goals in stem cell research are to be able to create new body parts or repair damaged. Why is it so controversial' The assertion that life begins at conception, making out that stem cell harvesting is akin to murder, as the stem cells from the embryo are critical for its development, therefore harvesting stem cells would result in the death of the embryo. In contrast, others believe that person-hood starts after a certain time period, for example, two weeks after fertilisation, where the foetus has started developing a nervous system – cells have started to differentiate. There are many conflicts of belief when questioning the start of personhood. Most “pro-life” people believe that personhood starts at conception, others believe a few hours after conception, where the first cell divides. Some believe, through the interpretation of Bible links that personhood is when blood is present in the embryo. However, most pro-choice people believe personhood starts later in pregnancy instead of when blood is present. A traditional Jewish belief based on the Bible is that personhood is present when the foetus has half emerged from the mother. Some “pro-choice” people believe that personhood is present when the individual is breathing on its own. Who are the groups for/against stem cell research' The Catholic Church believes it is not right to kill a life in order to save a life. The Michael J. Fox foundation supports the research for purposes of finding a cure for Parkinson's disease. Pro-Life is against research of embryonic stem cell research because they believe that embryos and foetuses should have full legal protection. Pro-Choice is for stem cell research as they believe it is a woman's right to have full control over their body. What are the arguments for and against stem cell research' The Catholic Church condemns embryonic stem cell research as they believe it is not right to kill a life in order save a life. The Michael J. Fox Foundation supports Stem cell research for purposes of finding a better cure for those with Parkinson’s disease. Is one type of stem cell better than others' Totipotent stem cells have the most potential and can become over 300 types of different cells in the human body, rather than pluripotent and multipotent stem cells. Has there been any success with the use of stem cells' Professor Joseph Yanai and a team of researchers were able to reverse the effects on offspring that heroin and organophosphate had exposed on pregnant mice. The main argument with stem cell research is with embryonic stem cells, where there's question that a life is being killed to save another life. The main co-argument to this is that the embryo is not a life or hasn't reached the stage of person-hood. I believe that it isn't right to kill a life in order to save a life, so not harvesting the stem cells would kill an actual life, to save a questionable life that can't live independently of its mother. 'Stem cell treatments' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell_treatments Accessed: 18-May-10 'What are some different types of stem cells'' http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/stemcells/sctypes/ Accessed: 17-May-10 'What is the goal of stem cell research'' http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/stemcells/scresearch/ Accessed: 19-May-10 'When does human personhood begin' Conflicting belief systems' http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_when2.htm Accessed: 19-May-10