...Abstract Stem cell research has the potential to be the next “big thing.” Stem cells have been around for a very long time, however the research is only a little over ten years old. Stem cells are tiny immature cells that can become any kind of cell in a person’s body. Like everything else in society today stem cell research comes with some controversy. Some controversy comes from the fact that aborted fetuses are used to get stem cells. As always there are at least two sides to every issue. Imagine a world where almost every dangerous disease could be cured by a single medicine. This imagination can become reality with a small little stem cell. Stem cells potentially have the ability to cure cancer, birth defects, brain damage, learning disabilities, paralysis; the list goes on and on. A stem cell is a cell that can replicate itself and takes on the function of the cells around it. To understand stem cell research a background of its history is needed, along with a more in-depth explanation of what a stem cell is, and finally ethical issues associated with stem cell research. Although stem cells have been around for a long time, the research of stem cells is relatively new. In 1996 the Dickey-Wicker amendment was created and it prohibits the creation of embryos through government funding. Experiments on stem cells began in 1998 at the University of Wisconsin. “Dr. James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin developed a technique to isolate and grow the cells” (Department...
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...Stem Cell Ethics Essay In today’s society there are many things that are deemed ethical or not unethical. Underage drinking, drug use, divorce, these are just a few that might be considered unethical. Stem Cell Research can fall into either category depending on a person’s views. A stem cell is a biological cell found in every multicellular organism that can divide into different specialized cells. In a growing embryo, stem cells help maintain the regeneration parts of organs. “Cells grown in the lab provide scientists with the opportunity to "engineer" them for use in transplantation or treatment of diseases” (National Institutes of Health). There are two different types of stem cells, embryonic and adult. Embryonic cells are in the inner cell mass and adult cells are found in tissues. “Embryonic stem cells exist only at the earliest stages of embryonic development and are capable of making any cell type in the body. Under the right conditions, these cells retain the ability to divide and make copies of them indefinitely. Scientists are beginning to understand how to make these cells develop into any of the more than 200 different types of cells in the human body” (Stem Cell Research). “Adult stem cells are more limited and specialized than embryonic stem cells. They have the ability to make just one or two kinds of tissue, such as blood and immune system cells, brain or muscle cells. Adult stem cells also have a more limited capacity to replace themselves than do embryonic...
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...There are two types of cell transport mechanisms. These types of transports are passive and active transport. The difference between active and passive is that passive does not require energy and active does require energy. The reason passive does not require energy is because it travels down a concentration gradient. On a concentration gradient molecules naturally move from high to low concentration. In active transport, molecules move from low to high concentration. There are three different types of transports for passive and two types of transports for active. The three types of passive transports are diffusion, osmosis, and facilitated diffusion. The two types of active transports are endocytosis, and exocytosis. Passive transport does not require ATP, also known as energy. The reason it does not require energy is because it travels down a concentration gradient. This means molecules naturally travel from high to low concentration. The first type of passive transport is diffusion. Diffusion is the movement of molecule across the membrane from high to low concentration. Diffusion naturally occurs until equilibrium is reached. Only very small molecules can cross the membrane in diffusion. These include ions, gases, alcohols, and small lipids. The next type of passive transport is osmosis. Osmosis is the diffusion of water across the cell membrane. Three examples of osmosis are hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic solutions. A hypertonic solution is a solution that has a higher...
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...Stem cells are specialized cells, which have the potential to divide into many different cell types during early life and growth. Subsequently, they can serve as an internal repair system and can divide without limit to replenish other damaged cells as long as the host is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become a different cell with a specialized function; i.e; muscle cells, red blood cells, or brain cells. Stems cells are differentiable from other cells because they exhibit two distinct characteristics. First, they begin as unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves via cell division and second, they are inducible to become tissue or organ specific cells with special functions under certain physiologic conditions. Since stem cells can differentiate into specific cell types, they offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues, which prove promising in many human diseases. These include (but are not limited to) neurodegenerative diseases, macular degeneration, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes,...
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...ownership of cells once they are removed. Do we own our bodily cells; or the doctors who extracted them? Many people believe that the cells belong to the bodies they came out of, but is it okay for the doctors to put patents on our cells without our complete knowledge? I believe that the ownership of the cells and anything propitious that comes of the cells belongs to the patient that had them removed. I also believe that the doctors that assisted in the removal of such cells should have a share in the profits that are made from these cells. A lot of people who sign the consent forms have no idea what’s happening with their cells after they’ve been removed. A paradigm of this is “Most people are willing...
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...research on how stem cells make new kidney tissue, and he did this using zebra fish. A stem cell is a unique in two ways: it is an immature cell that can turn into different cell types and it can self-replicate. Zygotes are the ultimate stem cells. To get a stem cell you can take a skin cell and force it to express 4 proteins or genes. Getting a stem cell from a zygote is controversial because some people ask if destroying an embryo is ethical. You can use stem cells for therapy. You take stem cells and turn them into the target cell and then transplant it into the person. Stem cell therapy does not have any FDA approval. There is no...
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...The difference between the cell cycles of a normal and cancerous cell is that the cancerous cell is uncontrolled when it reaches the cell division or anything else goes wrong threwout the cycle(can be very dangerous) and the normal cell is controlled throughout the whole cycle. In the g1 phase, the cell synthesizes mRNA and proteins in preparation for subsequent steps leading to mitosis. When the cell reaches the end of the G1 phase it is controlled at a checkpoint called G1/S, G1/S is when the cell decides whether or not to replicate its DNA. At the checkpoint the cell is checked for DNA. Cells with no damaged DNA (normal cells) continue to S phase, in S phase cells with damaged DNA (cancerous cells) that cannot be repaired die. G2 is when cell is about to divide. the M is...
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...Stem cells are an undifferentiated cell of a multicellular organism that can give rise to indefinitely more cells of the same type, and from which certain other kinds of cell arise by differentiation. Over the years, scientists have learned much more information on stem cells. The information on stem cells has only improved which led to new technologies, cures, and of course controversies. Stem cells are incredible, they are unlike any other cell in the body. They have three unique properties: they are unspecialized; they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods; and they can give rise to specialized cell types. A stem cell is unspecialized meaning that they are basically blank body cells. They have the potential...
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...Cells are defined as “a type of cell that can produce other cells which are able to develop into any kind of cell in the body.” There are two main types of stem cells. The first are called Embryonic Stem Cells. They come from 4 to 5 day old embryos that have been fertilized by in vitro fertilization. They are then donated by the donors for research. canThe second are called Adult Stem Cells. They can be found in human tissues such as the blood, bone marrow, liver, brain and some muscles. People have been studying stem cells since the nineteenth century. On February 2, 1963 two Canadian scientists experimented on mice and found evidence that there are stem cells in blood. Their names are Ernest McCulloch and James Till. In 1968 Robert A. Good performed the first successful bone marrow transplant on a child. This child suffered from an immune deficiency that had killed other people in his family. He grew to be a healthy adult....
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...Is Embryonic Stem Cell Research Humane? Melvin Hart EN1420 12/1/14 ITT Technical Institute Is Embryonic Stem Cell Research Humane? Stem cells are primitive cells with the capacity to divide and create more identical stem cells, or to specialize and form specific cells. “Embryonic stem cells” which can only be derived from embryos that is still in the womb. They also have the ability to form cells of all tissues of an adult. So they can be manipulated to create new body parts for any human. This research can help with many new and exciting fields in medicine. HES cells are derived from the ‘inner cell mass’ of human embryos that develop in culture in 5 days of fertilization. It does not contain Extra embryonic tissue, which is needed for complete human development, which develop things such as the placenta and membranes of the fetus. So they cannot create a complete new individual in any way shape or form. Just spare parts for a lack of better words. This is why this research is so controversial to almost everyone who knows anything about it. Even the scientist who first discovered this technic have argued about it being just as controversial as abortion because you have to have a fertilized fetus to obtain the cells needed to do this process. So it touches an issue that has been around for years. When does life really start? When an egg is fertilized or when the mother has given birth? Or once the fetus has developed a brain? Really tough question, however I don’t...
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...Cell Cycle A cell spends the most time in the stage of interphase. The first stage of interphase is known as G1 phase. G1 is where most of the cell growth occurs. After the G1 phase, the cell goes through the G1 checkpoint and if the cell is well developed, it will proceed to the S phase. During S phase, the DNA of the cell is synthesized, or copied. The cell then enters G2 phase in which the cell prepares for cell division. The cell goes through a G2 checkpoint. If the cell doesn’t have any problems in relation to the cell’s growth and development, then the cell is ready for mitosis. There are two parts to cell division, mitosis followed by cytokinesis. Mitosis is the process in which the nucleus of the cell splits into two. The four stages of mitosis are prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. During prophase, the cell’s nuclear envelope disappears and the chromatin tightly coils to become visible chromosomes. Each chromosome contains two sister chromosomes that are held together at the centromere. The cell then enters metaphase where the spindle fibers located at the centrioles attach to the centromeres. The sister chromatids are then pulled to the middle of the cell and lined up in the center. The third checkpoint occurs here to make sure that the chromosomes are aligned, if so then it proceeds to anaphase. During anaphase the centromeres split and the sister chromatids are pulled to opposite poles of the cell. The cell then enters telophase in which the chromosomes...
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...During this day and age lots of people still think to themselves ¨what are stem cells, ¨ I Have heard that a lot I´ve had to look back as well to find the exact meaning of what a stem Cell does what people in this day in age use them for. Stem cells are undifferentiated cell of A multicellular organism that is capable of giving rise to infinitely more cells of the same Type, from which certain other kinds of cells arise from differentiation. The main study on this is they are taking human body and using it to, test, and grow stem cells or even master cells and they form immediately after the human egg is fertilized. Which the cells are called master or stem, because they can develop into all parts of the body including muscles, brain, blood, and skin. The way I feel about them...
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...Stem Cell Application Assignment * Stem cells are an undifferentiated cell of a multicellular organism that is capable of giving rise to indefinitely more cells of the same type, and from which certain other kinds of cell arise by differentiation. Adult stem cells are found in small numbers in most adult tissues, such as bone marrow or fat. Compared with embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells have a more limited ability to give rise to various cells of the body. * Stem cells hold the promise of treatments and cures for more than 70 major diseases and conditions that affect millions of people, including diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), spinal cord injuries, blindness, and HIV/AIDS. These are all degenerative diseases and stem cells help recreate whatever body material has been lost. It is prominently used in blood diseases such as leukemia. * * A stem cell transplant (also called hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation) infuses healthy blood-forming stem cells into the body. Stem cells can be collected from the bone marrow, circulating (peripheral) blood, and umbilical cord blood. * Yes, stem cells are being used to treat leukemia. It prolonged the life of my grandpa who suffered from leukemia by six years. * The controversy surrounding stem cell research led to an intense debate about ethics. Up until the recent years, the research method mainly focused on embryonic stem cells, which involves...
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...Stem cells are unspecialized cell, they are cells that have the potential to develop into any type of cells in the body. Stem cells are served as sort of a repair and replace system. Our bodies create stem cells to repair or replace damaged or worn out tissues in the bodies, this is why stem cells are very important to all living organisms as they are the cure for our bodies. Stem cells have a potential to renew themselves through division systems. It can be divided with no limits to create new cells for the body to use. When a stem cell divides, each stem cell can either remain as a stem cell or becomes specialized function cells such as a red blood cell, a brain cell or a muscle cells. Because stem cells have unique ability scientists are very interested in doing the research and hopefully will develop the research into medical treatments. My question to this issue is should stem cell research be carried out in New Zealand for medical treatments. Scientists are now working on two kinds of stem cells from human and animals which are embryonic and adult stem cells. A major difference between embryonic stem cell and adult stem cell is their abilities in the numbers of different types of cells they can become. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to...
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...IS STEM CELL RESEARCH REALLY MURDER? There has been much opposition and debate in the world of stem cell research in the united states and many other countries. So, is stem cell research the key to finding cures for diseases and injuries? It is still unknown in present day medicine and science. In todays society many have viewed stem cell research as a necessity to find out if stem cells may possess properties to cure cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s, and many other serious diseases. While other groups in our society view stem cell research as being morally wrong and should not continue in the world of science. So, what are stem cells? Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types (MNT...
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