Steam Cell

Stem Cell

Stem cell research has been a major controversy for the last few years. But what exactly is a stem cell? Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can “theoretically” divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person is alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. Having said that, stem cell research is a remarkable scientific method used for many, positive things. It is so significant to our society, and definitely for a good purpose.

Accordingly to Wikipedia.org “There are 210 different kinds of tissues in the human body. Most of which we have an understanding for, but we are not capable of fully grasping there skills and functions”. You would think that in today’s modern world there would be a cure or an explanation for every occurrence in the human body. We thought that by now we would be able to cure cancer and other life treating diseases, unfortunately not.

In 1998 there was a breakthrough in science, when two separate researchers successfully isolated stem cells from human embryos and aborted fetuses. According to Wikipedia.org “Stem cells are primal cells found in all multi-cellular organisms. They retain the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and can differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types. The three broad categories of mammalian stem cells are: embryonic stem cells, derived from blastocysts, adult stem cells, which are found in adult tissues, and cord blood stem cells, which are found in the umbilical cord. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells”.

Basically this was a huge break-thru in the medical field, even though there are great benefits to this research but as written in the law we cannot kill one member of the human species. The main argument which holds us back in the U.S, according to (Encyclopedia Britannica) that “There exists a widespread controversy over stem cell research that emanates from the techniques used in the creation and usage of stem cells. Human embryonic stem cell research is particularly controversial because, with the present state of technology, starting