Stem Cells What How and Why Essay - 1130 Words

Stem Cells: What, How and Why? Stem cells are infinitely valuable when considering their potential applications in the medical profession. While current legislative restrictions have halted the development of new ?stem cell lines? to any agency or company that receives any form of governmental grants, there is no question that the medical profession is standing at the brink of a new era of technological advancements in healthcare and research. Stem cells are valuable due to the fact that they are ?non-designated,? (have no specifically assigned task in the body, i.e. liver cells, brain cells, skin cells, etc.) and they also have the ability to divide indefinitely. Thus, theoretically stem cells could replace any damaged or lost†¦show more content†¦The first method, developed by Dr. Thomson involves ?the isolation of pluripotent stem cells directly from the inner cell mass of human embryos at the blastocyst stage. Dr. Thomson received embryos from IVF (InVitro Fertilization) clinics. ?.Dr. Thomson isolated the inner cell mass and cultured these cells producing a pluripotent stem cell line.? (NIH Primer) The second method of deriving pluripotent stem cells was developed by Dr. Gearhart. In this more controversial method, Gearhart obtained stem cells from the fetal tissue of terminated pregnancies. He took cells from areas of the fetus that would soon develop into the reproductive organs of the fetus. He then isolated the inner cell mass and cultured these cells. In was in this way that Dr. Gearhart produced a pluripotent stem cell line which would be available to other researchers. What little we know about stem cells has already altered the course of medical research and new findings are sure to expand on this occurrence. The potential applications of stem cell research include advancements in the study of Parkinson?s, Alzheimer?s, spinal cord damage, stroke, burn victims and patients in need of skin grafts, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis in addition to answering some of the many questions regarding gene therapy. So what?s the problem? Well, the NIH (National Institutes of Health) issued a ?primer? to explain what exactly are stem cells and whatShow MoreRelatedThe Ongoing Debate Over the Use of Stem Cells Essay1317 Words   |  6 Pagesdisease and sickness. Among these advances there is something revolutionary called stem cells. Stem cells can help restore and regenerate almost all parts of the human body such as the heart, kidney, liver, and many other organs. Although stem cells offer a lot, there are many views against and for stem cells, and among these views lies the debate of whether stem cells should be legalized or not (NIH 2). Stem cells offer exciting new opportunities in the field of science such as regenerating humanRead MoreThe Debate Of Stem Cell Research1519 Words   |  7 Pagesbring the topic of stem cell research to the table to inform you on a topic you most likely know nothing about. According to the bible the strong need to bear with the failings of the weak. Why sh ould we please ourselves if we don’t care for stem cell research? Among one of the, if not the most, controversial topics of our time comes one medical science that can save lives if legalized nationwide. We are talking about stem cells of course, and why the allowance of these basic cells in common medicalRead MoreStem Cells And The Future Essay1441 Words   |  6 PagesDecember 2016 Stem Cells and the Future What exactly are stem cells? How can the use of these cells benefit us and how exactly are they acquired? Believe it or not stem cells have been in play when it comes to medicine since the 1950’s in France (Steenblock 1). This topic is very controversial and I surmise that it is strongly due to the lack of knowledge when it comes to stem cells and their importance. I, myself, am very intrigued by stem cells and my goal is to define what they are and layoutRead MoreThe Government Has Not Funded Stem Cell Research1566 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment has not funded stem cell research since 2001 for various reasons, some understandable, others I have to disagree on. I believe stem cell research should be funded by the government because it will advance our knowledge on how to treat and cure certain diseases. Many people, researchers and scientist included, strongly agree that we cannot continue our knowledge and technological advancement without the support of our own government. Stem cells are special cells that have the ability toRead MoreA Research Study On Stem Cell1225 Words   |  5 Pages My research about stem cells, I will be talking about what a stem cell is. Why are stem cells important from a medical perspective? How are stem cells being used today? Where do scientists get stem cells? Why is so much controversy over the stem cells? How does a zygote develop into a baby? Why a zygote is considered a stem cell? A stem cell is an immature cell that can help reproduce different types of cells throughout the body. There are three types of stem cells that I will be focusing on : adultRead MoreEssay on Stem Cells: The Cure for Uncontrollable Diseases of the Past1246 Words   |  5 PagesLou Gehrig’s disease, Sickle Cell Anemia, Alzheimer’s. This world is plague by countless diseases and there existed a time where, after many failed research attempts, scientists began to believe that people would always suffer from these diseases. Howev er, with the introduction of stem cell research those past notions were dismissed. Upon their introduction, stem cell’s provided a new hope to the world and it proved itself to be an invaluable asset. Through stem cell research, a multitude of curesRead MoreEssay about History of Stem Cells1407 Words   |  6 PagesHistory of Stem Cells Abstract This paper will be discussing the history of stem cells. There are many different ways to collect stem cells. Stem cells can be used for either right or wrong reasons. People can either use them to cure or to cause harm. Most people use stem cells to cure fatal illnesses. The one researcher that put stem cells out in the science world so people could understand it better was Leroy Stevens. His first encounter with stem cells was with a mouse that had a teratomaRead MoreA Research Study On Stem Cell Research1644 Words   |  7 PagesStem cell research has covered many parts of research today and is growing progressively and becoming more common in research today. These cells have the potential to grow and develop into any other cell type in the body and form or make up the tissues of the body and organs. There are millions of people today who suffer from birth defects or diseases because of damaged cells or tissue. Stem cells give researchers the ability cure and replace almost all t he cells in the body and help grow new tissueRead MoreStem Research On Stem Cell Research1318 Words   |  6 PagesWhat if there was already a way to cure cancer out there right now? What if it was right at the tip of humanity’s fingers, and with a little bit more reach it would be ours? This miracle is known as Stem Cell Research (SCR). Stem Cell Research is a relatively new field that has shown much promise to help deal with hundreds of different conditions and diseases. Though this astounding field holds the key to saving thousands of lives, there is a misguided ethical problem with Stem Cell Research raisedRead MoreStem Cell Research Essay1001 Words   |  5 Pages Stem cell research is a growing field and it has brought major changes to the medical field, and could bring many more. There is no way to say at this point what all could be done with stem cells. The more research and the more technology just gives stem cell research an opening with no end. What is a stem ce ll? A stem cell is a cell that is undifferentiated, which means it can develop into any type of cell. There are three places stem cells can be obtained. They can be obtained from adult cells