Pros And Cons Of Embryonic Stem Cells

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The future is near. In fact, the future is now. Prothetic limbs feel your movement with elctrodes and move with you like natural muscles. Vaccines have limited the power of what used to be deadly diseases to the force of a nuisance, such as the flu, previously known as enfluenza. These days, the grape vine is flooded with talk of a new type of research that could completely remap healthcare, or even cure cancer. Stem cells are the controversial talk of the town with super powers derived from morally ambiguous sources. Many points in this conversation explain the differnce between adult and embryonic stem cells, the widely debated moral status of the embryo, and most importantly, the changes gene therapy could potentially make in nearly every …show more content…
As their name suggests, the embryonic stem cells are derived from human embryos, which are found and used in a few different ways, all of which are often found to be controversial. "By using stem cells and discarding the embryo, it is thought that human life is ultimately de-valued by this act and is paving a slippery slope for further scientific procedures that similarly de-value life (Murnaghan)." The least controversial of scientists methods taking extra fertilized eggs out of a woman's uterus after one of her eggs becomes the main offspring. In reproduction, many eggs may get fertilized, but only one will survive to be the sole reproduction. Scientists can then extract the 'left over' eggs and extract the pluriponent cells. The second method of isolating these cells comes from the fetuses of abortions, which causes much controversy, as one would expect (Cashin-Garbutt). Some people who debate against these extractions state that an egg should have the rights of a human at the moment of fertilization. Though it is not yet a child, it has the potential of becoming one, and so they say it should have the rights of one. Another theory of those opposing are that a cell should have rights starting fourteen days after fertilization since, at this point, the cell can no longer split into several organisms. Up …show more content…
That is, "The transplantation of normal genes into cells in place of missing or defective ones in order to correct genetic disorders (Dictionary)." The miraculous healing and possibilities of such are nearly endless, such as "potentially treating problems like repairing or replacing damaged organs, birth defects, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries and Alzheimer’s disease (Joseph)." In fact, the positive outcomes are not just that of possibility for the future. Just days ago, on Semptember 27, 2016, the first full quadreplegic to undergo stem cell treatment was reported to now have the use of their upper body, so much so that they can easily sign their