Stem Cell Research

Essay by Go_dumb001 July 2008

download word file, 6 pages 5.0

Over the last several years stem cell research has been a hot topic of debate. Scientists have beliefs that the use of stem cells could be used to cure currently incurable diseases. The moral and ethical dilemma that comes from the use of stem cells derives from how stem cells are obtained. Embryonic Stem cells (ES) come from human embryos and Embryonic Germ Cells (EG) are taken from 5 - 9 week old aborted fetuses.

Ethical/Political DilemmaNew research of the 21st century is not getting done because of the tangled web bureaucrats are making of embryonic research. Not only is there much confusion in the government but the general public has put a damper on research as well. As it stands right now scientists find it to be too much work to put together a proposal for the research of stem cells only to find out it might be made illegal.

(www.genomenewsnetwork.org) In 2001, President Bush said that scientists that receive federal funds could only work with a handful of stem cell lines, those that were created before August 9, 2001. (www.genomenewsnetwork.org) Because of limited supply of stem cells given for research, scientists came up with the idea of cloning stem cells. This process could be the answer the government, public and scientists are looking for because it does not involve replenishing human embryos and fetuses for research. Researchers of stem cell research have been getting turned off to cloning of stem cells because congress has threatened making this process illegal.

The ethical implications of stem cell research derive from religious beliefs. These people believe that the government should not fund programs that kill innocent life. They believe that when the 6-8 day old embryo has the same rights as a full term baby and killing that embryo does not...