Do you ever wonder if our generation could be the ones to cure cancer? Or even give a paraplegic person a chance to walk again? Stem cell research could be the answer to these questions. Stem cells are reproductive cells that adapt the qualities of the tissue around them by thus becoming a part of the tissue itself. The research we have done so far has given us basic knowledge about understanding the cause of numerous diseases such as cancer. These cells can come from all over the body however are categorised into 2 groups, adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Today I’ll be addressing the benefits of stem cell research and arguing for the acceptance of this medical research.
Most of the critics of stem cell research say adult stem cells are as useful as embryonic stem cells. But numerous stem cell scientists agree that embryonic stem cells have the ability to create any cell type in the human body. Adult stem cells are more specialized; they generally make cells only from their tissue of origin. Thus, embryonic stem cells can do things that adult stem cells cannot do. To take full advantage of the chances of discovering new cures, it is important to pursue research on both embryonic and adult stem cells.
Another issue people argue against is that embryonic stem cell research uses embryos that have begun to develop as babies. This is not quite the case, scientist from University of Michigan's stem cell research program say "stem cells are derived from blastocysts that have only developed for about five days after fertilization. The blastocysts used for this research develop entirely in laboratory dishes in fertility clinics and are never implanted in a woman's uterus. These early stage embryos consist of about 100 cells and are the size of the period at the end of a sentence. At this stage, the cells have no nervous system, no heart, no limbs, and no specialized human tissues."
The research of stem cells has given rise to new achievements in the practice...