Stem Cell Research

13 Pages 3142 Words

s (Blevington 1). This fetal tissue was received from terminated pregnancies. Dr. Gearhart received consent from the donors only after they decided to terminate their pregnancies. Cells were taken from the region that would have been the reproductive organs. Within these cells were the stem cells. The stem cells were extracted and cultured. This produced a second line of stem cells for research (National Institutes of Health 2).
There are many reasons why stem cell research is important to the scientific communities. At the most basic level the stem cells will help us to understand how a cell develops and works. We know that genes start and stop particular processes and this causes certain things to change within the cell. What tells these genes to start and stop is still a mystery to scientists. By understanding what causes a gene to mutate will allow us to slowdown or even stop these diseases and genetic disorders (National Institutes of Health 2).
Stem cell research could also change the ways drug companies test new drugs. New...