Stem Cell Research Pros Embryonic stem cell research can help find cures for or prevent issues

such as:d Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers, Heart disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Various birth defects, Spinal cord injuries, Organ damage and even transplant rejection Embryonic stem cell research uses the regenerative cells of an embryo which are able to reproduce any other cell in the body. This means that you can easily gather information about how the development can affect various diseases. It helps the researchers know more about the growth of human cells and their development. In future, the stem cell research can allow the scientists to test a number of potential medicines and drugs without carrying out any test on animals and humans. The drug can be tested on a population of cells directly. The stem cell therapy also allows researchers to study the developmental stages that cannot be known directly through the human embryo and can be used in the treatment of a number of birth defects, infertility problems and also pregnancy loss. A higher understanding will allow the treatment of the abnormal development in the human body. Why is it a controversy? : So what is the controversy all about? Those who value human life from the point of conception, oppose embryonic stem cell research because the extraction of stem cells from this type of an embryo requires its destruction. In other words, it requires that a human life be killed. Some believe this to be the same as murder . Against this, embryonic research advocates argue that the tiny blastocyst has no human features. Further, new stem cell lines already exist due to the common practice of in vitro fertilization. Research advocates conclude that many fertilized human cells have already been banked, but are not being made available for research. Advocates of embryonic stem cell research claim new human lives will not be created for the sole purpose of experimentation. What is Stem Cell Research? : Definition: A stem cell is a generic cell that can make exact copies of itself indefinitely. A stem cell has the ability to produce specialized cells for various tissues in the body, such as heart muscle, brain tissue, and liver tissue. Stem cells can be saved and used as a later date to produce specialized cells, when needed. There are two basic types of stem cells: Embryonic stem cells - these are taken from aborted fetuses or fertilized eggs that are left over from in vitro fertilization (IVF). They are useful for medical and research purposes because they can produce cells for almost every tissue in the body. Adult stem cells - these are not as versatile for research purposes because they are specific to certain cell types, such as blood, intestines, skin, and muscle. The term "adult stem cell" may be misleading because both children and adults have them. Cons Some say its an attempt to play God, arguments have been made that it devalues human life, there have also been people who have voiced fears of things such as cloning of humans and too much information about creating unnaturally long life spans.

Religious stigma The long term side effects of the therapy are still unknown.

The disadvantage of adult stem cells is that the cells of a particular origin would generate cells only of that type, like brain cells would generate only brain cells and so on.

More Information: Stem cells are distinguished from other cell types by two important characteristics. First, they are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of inactivity. Second, under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions. In some organs, such as the gut and bone marrow, stem cells regularly divide to repair and replace worn out or damaged tissues. In other organs, however, such as the pancreas and the heart, stem cells only divide under special conditions. Embryonic stem cells, as their name suggests, are derived from embryos. Most embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitroin an in vitro fertilization clinicand then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. They are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman's body.

References http://www.embryonicstemcellresearch.org/embryonic-stem-cell-research-pros-and-cons.html Used in the first bullet point in chart for pros Used in the first two bullet points in chart for cons

http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/pros-and-cons-of-stem-cell-research.htm http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/12366/1/Pros-and-Cons-of-Stem-Cell-Therapy.html Used in the second-fourth bullets in chart for pros Used in the third-fourth bullets in chart for cons

http://www.healthcentral.com/ency/408/007120.html http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/Pages/Default.aspx http://www.livestrong.com/article/28095-stem-cell-treatment-work/ http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/stem-cell2.htm http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?lic=403&article_set=73251&ps=204&cat_id=20670#