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AUTHOUR: IVETTY ESTEPAN

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Stem Cell Research

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What are 2 the different types of stem cells?

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are cells that can be found in all many-celled organisms. They are cells that can recreate themselves. These cells are not assigned a special role like blood or tissue cells. Because these cells do not have a specific role in the body they are referred to as nonspecialized cells. All cells in the body originate from these cells. This is because in order for every cell in the body to create they
This is the process every cell in the body undergoes in order to recreate. http:// healthinfoispower.files.wordpress.com/200 8/09/cell-division.jpg

What are the pros?

must undergo mitosis or cell division, in which the parent cells are stem cells.

What are the cons? Controversy surrounding stem cells.

Stem cells can act differently based on age. The cells of a developing embryo go through the differentiating stage in which each develops into skin, red blood, nerve, bone, muscle, or even skeletal cells. Embryos must undergo cell division many times in order to develop into healthy newborns. In adults, stem cells generally serve as repair cells. This is because adults are already finished growing. Stem cells are the stem of the body.

How could this research affect life in the future?

What is the
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controversy around

Is there another way?

Stem cells?
The controversy concerning stem cells is all based on ethical and moral reasoning. In order to continue research on an experiment it must be ethically correct. So, in order for embryonic stem cell research to continue its pros have to outnumber its cons. by many unethical and immoral. The cause of most debates is to determine What could possibly whether or not to continue be the problem? Well, this research. embryonic research Why cant the pros outrequires the sacrificing number the cons then? of an embryo, a human Continued on page 3 life. This is considered

Are you against stem cell research?

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What are the different types of stem cells?

There are five main types of stem cells. They are; early embryonic, blastocyst, fetal, umbilical cord, and adult stem cells. are the cells that form the mass of a blastocyst about 7 days after fertilization. They are pluripotent, which means they have the abilEmbryonic stem cells ity to form into almost are created when an egg any type of cell in the is fertilized and begins to body. divide. Embryonic cells Fetal stem cells are the are considered first to start developing totipotent, which human characteristics. means they can divide They are found in the into any cell in the body. embryo after 8 weeks of development. They are Blastocyst stem cells also pluripotent. Umbilical cord stem cells are multipotent which means that they can only transform into specific roles. They are found in the blood of the umbilical chord of a newborn. Adult stem cells are multipotent and can be found in developed places of the body. They are also present in children.

http:// learn.genetics.utah.e du/content/tech/ stemcells/sccreate/

What are the pros?

A cure for many life

threatening diseases.

The most important advantage in the research of stem cells would be finding a cure for many life threatening diseases. Some of these diseases may be Multi Myeloma Cancer or Parkinson's disease, as well as spi-

nal chord injuries. Another pro of stem cell research is that it can put an end to amputations. It would help create more repairing cells for this to be possible.

Stem cells can help treat birth defects, diabetes, damaged organs, and even strokes. One really convincing pro would be that it would boost our economy majorly and even cause world wide recognition.

http:// learn.geneti cs.utah.edu/ content/ tech/ stemcells/ sccreate/

What are the Cons?

Some cons in stem cell research would be the testing on animals. It is a process that up to date is irreversible. It has caused 20% of death among tested rats. There is also the chance that some cells are rejected, usually not the embryonic cells. But one of the most important cons would be the sacrificing of a human life-an embryo in order to save another. This is considered by many murder.

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Controversy surrounding Stem cells.

that it is life vs. www.stoptheaclu life. It is .com/2005/07/14/ the emaclus-topbryos life priority/ against the ill patients life who can benefit from the embryo. It is like a parasitic relationship, one organism benefits, while the other is injured or in this case
EMBRYO http://

Continued from page 1 Well, there is no price you can put on a human life. That is unethical as well. But what makes this case so hard to judge is

killed. Many people have compared this to murder and abortion. The controversy is all about which cost is higher, but that can not be judged. What makes this decision so hard is that we do not know the outcomes of stem cell research, therefore not being able to actually calculate the cost of it.

The controversy is all based on perception.

Result of stem cell research is to figure out a way to

How can this research can affect life as we know it in the future?
One of the most aspired results of stem cell research is to figure out a way to eternal life. learning how these cells work, it is easier to find out why they become incapable of continuing their original functions.

solve the problem of not finding eternal enough donors in time for a transplant. life. A very confident possibility is findHow is this possible? Well ing the cure to limb amputations, heart the most common cause of disease, neurological disorders, spinal death is the incapability of the Another way that stem cord injuries, and many more, all body to maintain, repair cells, or cell research can alter the through stem cell transplants. grow. What does this have to do future is that it may lead to But the most surprising impact stem with stem cells? Well, all these the growing of organs in cells can have is the cloning of huare jobs of stem cells. So, by laboratories. This can mans.

Is there another way?

Yes, there is another way Adult stem cells could also to stem cell research. How- be obtained from bone marever, they are not as effective row. But, this causes destrucas the embryonic stem cells. tion of the bone marrow. from an umbilical cord, but this takes much planning ahead. Also, the farther away from They are iPS, also known Adult cells can also be as induced pluripotent stem taken from the peripheral sys- the baby, there is a higher chance of cells. They are very similar tem. But, this takes time cell rejection. to stem cells but are not quite which in most cases is limas effective. ited. Stem cells can be taken

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Estepan

Are you against Stem Cell Research?

No, I am not against stem cell research. I think many people do not consider both sides that it affects. People do not understand that unless you are put in a specific situation you really cannot know what is right or wrong not want the cure for survival. What if you have kids? Would you want to leave them behind with a struggling Yes, it is a life for another, but mother or father? It all comes down maybe the research could lead to a to your own situation. Take a minute substitute just as effective. We will and try to imagine what a person gonot know unless we try. What if it ing through these diseases are going is you one day that is diagnosed through, especially if they know that Sure you can be against aborwith Multi Myeloma, would you there is a possibility for a cure. How tion, but you cannot really comwould you feel? Sure. There are pare this to abortion. First, in aborother ways, but 70% of the time they tion you are killing a baby for no do not work. So what to do then? reason that can not be solved. It is Nothing, just watch as you die hopenot the same when it comes to lessly. Have your children or family stem cell research. Every year suffer the way you suffer. I know I about 7.6 million people die from would not find that very pleasant. So cancer. That is just one disease that please do many a favor and support could possibly be cured by stem http://kayak4cancer.net/ stem cell research today. cell research. Just one life could lead to a cure for these million, maybe even billions of people a year.