Hope in a Cell Essay examples

Submitted By danielrie
Words: 1471
Pages: 6
Open Document
“Hope in a Cell”

How many of you remember the iconic, late 70’s, superhero movie, Superman and how inspirational the role of Christopher Reeve, whom played the main character had became to millions of viewers across the globe? Unfortunately, this amazing actor had been stroke with a tragic, horse riding accident and became paralyzed from the neck down. Being a quadriplegic, Reeve became a major supporter of one of the most controversial topics in modern biomedical medicine, the use of stem cells to help regenerate damaged tissue and fight incurable diseases. Stem cells exist in an undifferentiated state and this allows them to transform into whatever type of cell that surrounds them (Newton 5.) This will give doctors the ability to cure all diseases. The problem causing all of the controversy is to get the stem cells that are the most useful; they have to be taken at the embryonic stage. This means a potential fetus being killed in order for doctors to get the stem cells (Newton 6.) In other words it is similar to an abortion and this is why it is such a hot topic in medicine right now. How do you weigh killing of a fetus, a potential person, versus using the stem cells to save peoples lives that have terrible diseases, which are incurable any other way? The idea of using stem cells from the human body came from the fact that there are many animals that can regenerate limbs and other body parts they are missing. We as humans have the same ability but not to the measure that some animals have it, we all know that if we loose an arm we can’t just grow it back on our own. In the 1950’s research started into looking for cells that were able to regenerate and that is where bone marrow started to be used and has become a widely used practice in medicine (Haerens 10.) In the 1980’s were first able to see that the cells in the embryo were able to be kept alive and maintain their unique ability to transform into any variety of cell types such as nerves, muscle, bone and cartilage (Haerens 10-11.)
So what exactly is a stem cell you might be asking yourself? All cells that are in the human body, all 200 different types, can be traced back to the moment when the egg is fertilized by the sperm. (Newton 3.) When this happens there is a pool of stem cells in that early embryo, these are the most useful. There are many different types of stem cells that can be used to help heal patient’s injuries and diseases. The main one is the embryonic stem cell, which can regenerate any type of tissue in the human body. Also, there are adult stem cells, which are in fully developed humans, and blood stem cells, which come from the placenta and umbilical cord and transformer into different types of blood cells. Other than the embryonic cells all of the others are not as versatile and harder to find like bone marrow stem cells (Ballomo 24-25.) Since using embryonic stem cells is so controversial it has people on both sides with opposing viewpoints. The main opposition to using stem cells is the fact that once the egg and sperm have come together, it is at that point when the scientists take it and dismantle it thus killing it off. For those who have the opinion of being pro life this is just as bad as an abortion. Many consider it One of the well-known figures against stem cell research is former President George W. Bush. On July 19, 2006 he used his veto power to reject the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005. He said, “ If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers for the first time in our history would be compelled to fund the deliberate destruction of human embryos. Crossing this line would be a grave mistake and would needlessly encourage a conflict between science and ethics that can only do damage to both and harm our nation as a whole” (George W Bush, from Haugen and Musser 7.) Even with all of the fertility clinics that have embryos stored and in most cases more embryos than a couple needs to get
Show More

Related Documents: Hope in a Cell Essay examples

Essay on Benefits of Human Cloning

empty egg. Then a cell is taken from the organism to be cloned and its nucleus is removed. This nucleus is then transferred into the empty donor egg. Using chemicals or a mild electric shock, the egg is forced to divide, creating an embryo. This embryo is then transferred into the uterus of the host organism. Therapeutic cloning is performed, not to produce another organism, but to harvest embryonic stem cells for use in medical treatments. Embryonic stem cells are those cells found inside of developing…

Words 914 - Pages 4

Nt1310 Unit 6 Lab

to Janson et al, 2007 Cell to propose to you. Spindle dynamics in meiosis I & II have not been well characterized (see attached movie). During meiosis, two haploid (1N) cells mate/fuse and become one large diploid (2N) cell. This diploid zygote duplicates its DNA (4N) and forms one meiosis I spindle to segregate the DNA into 2 X 2N, then it forms simultaneously 2 meiosis II spindles to segregate the DNA into 4 X 1N haploid spores. These spores will become 4 new (1N) baby cells. There are fundamental…

Words 411 - Pages 2

Pros And Cons Of Regenerative Medicine

nowadays for our cells, organs and tissues repair and replacement normal function. Hence demands increase in population for organ transplantation. Research has conducted for recent and alternative therapies. Regenerative Medicine can medicate few cells that were damage due to agedness and congenital defects. In addition stem cell has a regenerative medicine; it regenerates, repairs, and restores functionality. Regenerative medicine has a cure to failing or damage tissues. Stem cell increase years to…

Words 974 - Pages 4

A Brief Note On Cancer

general name for a group of abnormal cells that spread throughout the body, and can be found in every part of the body. Although there are many kinds of cancer, all cancer starts because abnormal cells grow out of control. Untreated cancer cells can cause serious illness, and or death. Cancer cells do not die; instead they continue to grow and create the abnormal cells. They are called cancer cells because they invade tissues inside the body, and grow out of control. Cells become cancerous when DNA (deoxyribonucleic…

Words 2007 - Pages 9

Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer Essay

Cancer Kaplan University 4-6-10 Mr. Andre I would like to give an insight about the diagnosis you have just been diagnosed with. I hope it gives you a better understanding and helps you with the type of stage you have and if any treatment can be successful for you. I hope you can come to an option and go back to doing as you have done with your loving family. The development of pancreatic cancer may involve the over-expression of oncogenes, inactivation…

Words 545 - Pages 3

Bio101 Research Essay

2012 Super Stem cell Since birth, almost all of our cells are differentiated, which means that they are specialized in their properties and functions. With that being said, our skin cells can only make new copies of skin cells, and our brain cells can only replace brain tissues. Stem cell, however, is the generator and supplier for constructing and replenishing more than one types of cells. The first type is called the human embryonic stem-cell (hESCs), it is undifferentiated cells that can be isolated…

Words 1187 - Pages 5

Studying: Stem Cells Essay

Stem Cell Research Embryonic stem cell research is one of the most promising, fascinating, and controversial issue in science today. It has generated debate, protest, and most importantly, hope. Federal funding for the stem cell research has strongly been lobbied recently because mainly scientist specialize in this field and many believe that cultivating lines or colonies from these cells will lead to a cure for several diseases like juvenile diabetes, spinal cord damage, Alzheimer’s disease…

Words 2039 - Pages 9

Stem Cell Essay

I have chosen to do my research of news articles on stem cell research, an often controversial, but necessary topic. In my first article, from, The New York Times, titled, “Cloning and Stem Cell Work Earn Nobel,” by Nicholas Wade, I learned that stem cells generated by the induced pluriponent cells (IPS) will enable replacement tissue to be generated from a patient’s own cells for use against a vast variety of degenerative diseases. Though this breakthrough is still in the distant future…

Words 696 - Pages 3

Reserch: Stem Cells Essay

Should Stem Cell Research Continue? Using stem cells in medical research is a highly opinionated and controversial subject in the U.S. To truly understand what underlies the argument, titled "Stem Cell Research" an article by Marcia Clemmitt gives the reader defying background information and many examples of both pros and cons on the controversy. "Stem cells are very basic cells in humans and animals that when needed can renew themselves indefinitely and repeatedly produce at least one kind…

Words 661 - Pages 3

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

slave quarters built by Henrietta’s white, slave-owning ancestors. She married her cousin, David Lacks, with whom she would have five children before dying of cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951. But part of her didn’t die. Her cancerous cells, HeLa, would continue to grow in a hospital lab long after her death and would lead to revolutionary discoveries and advancements in numerous fields of science. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks…

Words 1210 - Pages 5