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  • Essay / The ongoing debate on the use of stem cells - 1329

    Over the past two decades, many technological and scientific advances have been made to make life easier for many people suffering from cancer and diseases. Among these advances is something revolutionary called stem cells. Stem cells can help restore and regenerate almost every part of the human body, such as the heart, kidneys, liver and many other organs. Although stem cells offer many things, there are many views against and for stem cells, and among these views is the debate over whether or not stem cells should be legalized (NIH 2). Stem cells offer exciting new opportunities in science, such as regenerating parts of the human body, but many people still question whether using stem cells is moral or not, because using stem cells requires the destruction of embryos, and whether the embryos are not destroyed. , bone marrow stem cells are then used, which is often a very painful process (NIH 3). In order to understand why stem cells are so controversial and how they can benefit most humans around the world, one must have experience and understanding of stem cells. There are two types of stem cells; somatic stem cells and embryonic stem cells (NIH 3). Somatic stem cells are commonly called adult stem cells because their name comes from where they originate. Adult stem cells come from adults, and although adult stem cells do not yet contain as much information as embryonic stem cells acquired by scientists, they are legal and used daily in hospitals. Adult stem cells are currently known to exist only in the bone marrow, but scientists believe there may be stem cells in the brain and heart. Embryonic stem cells are unspecialized cells and can develop into other specialized cells. Embryonic... middle of paper ... different forms of stem cells, including embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells (or iPScs), and, the most rarely used, umbilical cord stem cells. Stem cells could provide organs and tissues in the near future, but this is in doubt because many people believe that life begins at conception, leading many scientists to believe that destroying a embryo is immoral and considered murder. Although the study of stem cells has many positive effects, many debates remain controversial over whether or not scientists should study the process of transforming non-specialized stem cells into specialized stem cells, because for those who believe that life begins at conception is basically studying the murder of humans. Stem cells could provide regenerative medicine in the future, and it is likely that debates will continue to arise on this topic..