What are the pros and cons of stem cell research?

[Mr Rayon]

What are the pros and cons of stem cell research? I am supposed to form an argument about it tomorrow for an oral presentation for English. I am supposed to convince my class that I am right by using many persuasive techniques (e.g. bias). The oral is supposed to be 5 minutes long.

 

What are the ethical issues of stem cell research?

 

 

 

 

Thanks

[gonelli]

It really depends on what kind of stem cell research you are talking about. There will be different issues associated with embryonic stem cells compared to adult stem cells, etc.

[Mr Rayon]

It really depends on what kind of stem cell research you are talking about. There will be different issues associated with embryonic stem cells compared to adult stem cells, etc.

 

Could you list the differences?

[Mokele]

Moved to homework help.

 

We'll be happy to discuss the topic with you, or answer your questions, but not to simply do your whole assignment.

[mooeypoo]

Votlman, what do you think the pros and cons are? Do you have an example for one or two?

 

If you give us a start for this, we can help you out with formulating the arguments. As it goes, we would rather not answer your homework for you, but rather help you out.

 

Also, I recommend you read a bit about stem cell research and pick one aspect of it to argue -- it is a HUGE subject, so it will be very hard to argue either position if you don't narrow it down a bit...

 

Give us a bit more specific perspective and some of YOUR work on it, and we will be happy to help out!

 

~moo

[falcon9393]

I am prochoice so i lean tords the more pros than cons but for the sake of it all ill make you little list, because i am lazy and i like to make lists

 

Pros

1. cures for diseases

2. opens more career oportunities

3. people constanly reproduce whats a few extra cells for researched?

 

Cons

1. exucusses for abortion

2. the possibility of less population

 

to tell you the truth im running out of things to list....

anyone wana help me out here?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

The controversial topic is always embryonic stem cell research, which involves extracting stem cells from embryos, meaning the embryos do not develop into kids ("murder!"). But there are numerous ways of getting stem cells without embryos, so your real research should be "what can stem cells be used for?"

 

Here's a good starter list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell_treatments

[Mr Rayon]

The controversial topic is always embryonic stem cell research, which involves extracting stem cells from embryos, meaning the embryos do not develop into kids ("murder!").

 

So, just to clarify adult stem cell research as well other types of stem cells (apart from embryonic) are not considered to be wrong?

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If adult stem cell research is considered okay, why not just conduct adult stem cell research instead of embryonic stem cell research?

[Mokele]

Adult stem cells can only make a few cell types for the location they were harvested from: skin, liver, etc. Embryonic stem cells can make any cell type in the entire body.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

Although much work has been done to make adult stem cells more versatile.

[iNow]

So, just to clarify adult stem cell research as well other types of stem cells (apart from embryonic) are not considered to be wrong?

There is no objective/absolute answer to this question. For some people, yes... for others, no.

[Mr Rayon]

There is no objective/absolute answer to this question. For some people, yes... for others, no.

 

What is the general consensus?

[iNow]

Again, depends entirely on who you ask.

 

I would suggest, however, that among scientists there is little or no problem with it. I would also suggest that those who do have problems with it tend to do so due to religious reasons, but I speculate.

 

Me... as an insulin-dependent diabetic who could directly benefit from it? I say, LET'S GO!! Full speed ahead!

We know how to do it. All that rules against it are going to do is to delay the inevitable.

[Mr Rayon]

EDIT 2: Was Dolly the sheep created using stem cell research?

 

EDIT 3: Did she die earlier than the average sheep? Were there any remarkable and noticeable differences between Dolly and other sheep?

 

Nevermind...Dolly died at the age of six which was half of the life-expectancy of ordinary sheep. I have also found out that straight after Dolly had been created, other animals had been cloned also. Did they live to their life-expectancy? Or did they die early?

 

And what about Dolly's offspring, are they still alive?

Edited June 18, 2009 by Voltman

[CharonY]

Dolly was cloned, which is not related to stem cell research per se.

Dolly as well as all other cloned mammals (using adult nuclei that is) aged prematurely, had offspring, though I do not believe that they should be remarkable in any way (at least in theory).

 

Back to stem cells, I would be surprised if there was a controversy regarding adult stem cells. At least, I am currently not aware of them.

[KtownChemist]

There are 4 distinct groups of stem cells; Adult stem cells, Infant stem cells, Fetal stem cells, and Embryonic stem cell.

 

Society currently accepts the use of all these except Fetal stem cells.

 

ASCs are derived from adults and so do not kill the host yet they are not pluripotent

ESCs are usually obtained from the left overs of in vitro and are pluripotent

Infant Stem Cells are obtained from the umbilical cord and are pluripotent

 

It is only because Fetal Stem Cells result in the destruction of the fetus that society has raised a flag.

[iNow]

It's really too bad that the term "embryonic" ever stuck in terms of stem cell research. We'd all probably all be a lot better off and farther along right now if we'd just called them "blastocystic" stem cells from the start.