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Stem Cell Research: Morally Wrong or Modern Marvel?
What if someone told you that a new, progressive technology could potentially cure cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, spinal cord injuries, or diabetes? What if in years to come, scientists could not only treat the symptoms of disease, but target the cause? This new, progressive technology is called Stem Cell Research, and it’s been a debatable topic both politically and medically.
According to Stem Cell Research Foundation, Stem Cell Research can be defined as a “group of new techniques that rely on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy, functional ones.” Stem cells are primitive cells found in embryos that have the potential to give rise to other types of cells. To create stem cells for research, a stem cell line must be created from the inner cell mass of a week old embryo. Batches of cells can be produced, then researched. This technique was conceived when there was an excess of embryos created in vitro fertilization, which is a process where a sperm cell and egg are brought together in a petri dish, rather than intercourse. Many scientists believe that Stem Cell Research looks promising, will revolutionize modern medicine, and save approximately 128 million Americans.
So, what is at fault? It’s a seemingly good solution for diseases that plague this generation, so what’s the controversy? Well, controversy lies within one’s opinion of what is considered a human being. Richard M. Doerflinger, Deputy Director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, expressed that even a one-celled zygote is the beginning of a new human being. He expresses, “every living member of the human species, including the human embryo, must be treated with the respect due to a human person.”
When exactly is life formed? Is it when the sperm meets the egg? Is it after the zygote is formed? Now, that’s up to you to decide. I believe that Stem Cell Research has the potential to save many lives from disease. I believe that the government should invest more money than what it is currently being doled out. President Bush says, “Embryonic stem cell research is at the leading edge of a series of moral hazards.” He calls it moral hazards. I call it a future of saving lives.
What if someone told you that a new, progressive technology could potentially cure cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, spinal cord injuries, or diabetes? What if in years to come, scientists could not only treat the symptoms of disease, but target the cause? This new, progressive technology is called Stem Cell Research, and it’s been a debatable topic both politically and medically.
According to Stem Cell Research Foundation, Stem Cell Research can be defined as a “group of new techniques that rely on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy, functional ones.” Stem cells are primitive cells found in embryos that have the potential to give rise to other types of cells. To create stem cells for research, a stem cell line must be created from the inner cell mass of a week old embryo. Batches of cells can be produced, then researched. This technique was conceived when there was an excess of embryos created in vitro fertilization, which is a process where a sperm cell and egg are brought together in a petri dish, rather than intercourse. Many scientists believe that Stem Cell Research looks promising, will revolutionize modern medicine, and save approximately 128 million Americans.
So, what is at fault? It’s a seemingly good solution for diseases that plague this generation, so what’s the controversy? Well, controversy lies within one’s opinion of what is considered a human being. Richard M. Doerflinger, Deputy Director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, expressed that even a one-celled zygote is the beginning of a new human being. He expresses, “every living member of the human species, including the human embryo, must be treated with the respect due to a human person.”
When exactly is life formed? Is it when the sperm meets the egg? Is it after the zygote is formed? Now, that’s up to you to decide. I believe that Stem Cell Research has the potential to save many lives from disease. I believe that the government should invest more money than what it is currently being doled out. President Bush says, “Embryonic stem cell research is at the leading edge of a series of moral hazards.” He calls it moral hazards. I call it a future of saving lives.