Potentials For Life

10 Pages 2502 Words

But these potential victories are not without a price, and stem cell research has come under ethical skepticism, not without good reason.

Stem cells are parent cells to all the body’s systems. They form within four days of conception and they have the ability to divide indefinitely, giving rise to cells that could conceivably develop into any differentiated cell type (CNN). That is, an embryonic stem cell has the potential to develop into any sort of cell, a blood cell, a skin cell, a kidney cell, and so on. Scientists believe they can direct these processes in the lab. Because of their massive potential, the isolation of embryonic stem cells has become what Jeffrey P. Kahn calls “the holy grail” of the human body (CNN). They’re considered essential in understanding the earliest stages of human development as well as treating many of the illnesses we cannot yet cure. But there’s a catch. In order to obtain embryonic stem cells, the embryo from which they come must be destroyed, placing an ethical cloud over their retrieval.

Because stem cell research destroys human embryos, it’s linked to the abortion debate. In both issues, the fundamental question becomes when does life begin? For those who believe life begins at a later developing time in the womb, or at birth, stem cell research isn’t much of an ethical issue. To them, an embryo is no more alive than is afterbirth, and if there can be scientific knowledge gained by its study, then why not get on with it? But for those who believe life begins at conception, the issue can be as offensive as abortion itself. Many abortion foes who feel the obligation to protect the unborn are fearful that once people realize the value of their stem cells, there will be worldwide embryonic harvesting to meet the laws of supply and demand. However unlikely this may seem, it’s not an unfounded fear.

In the century following Vesalius’s discovery of human anatomy, there arose ...