Stem Cell Research

13 Pages 3142 Words

Stem Cell Research and The Government

Is stem cell research wrong? This is a question that most of society faces daily. Until several years ago many people had never heard of stem cells, much less knew what they did. Today though information regarding stem cells and how they function is everywhere. A person can now learn about this subject just by reading a newspaper, listening to the radio, watching the news, or signing onto the Internet.
Currently though much debate arises over the idea of stem cell research. It is for several reasons that this issue causes disagreement. The first of these reasons is the process in which stem cells are acquired. Stem cells can be obtained from two different sources. One of these sources is through surplus embryos found at fertility clinics across the country. Another source of obtaining these stem cells is through the discarded fetal tissue of abortions. It is because of these two ways that the issue of stem cell research is as debated as abortion. Unlike abortion though, which destroys life, stem cells may hold the cure for many human disorders and diseases.
Another dispute over stem cell research has to do with the ethical issues. How far will science go in the search for answers? Will stem cell research lead to human cloning? Will there be designer babies (Kavanaugh 1)? These are all legitimate questions that surround the ethics of stem cell research. It is because of these many questions that the government should continue to fully fund and oversee this research. This would allow the government to maintain both control of cost and research.

Drenkhahn 2
A stem cell in essence is the cell of life. Before a heart cell is a heart cell it is a stem cell. Before a brain cell becomes just that, it is a stem cell. Every cell in the human body begins as a stem cell. A stem cell gives rise to the 210 different types of tissues in the human body (Bevingto...