Although stem cell research appears to stimulate controversy, it's also stimulating scientific changes to people's lives. That's at least the way its been portrayed, but looking at it with a skeptic eye, it may be the way they want people to see it as.
Basic Stem Cell Information
Stem cells have the ability to develop into many different kind of cells during early life and growth, hence their seemingly usefulness in the scientific field.
Two important characteristics of stem cells:
1. they are nonspecialist cells capable or renewing themselves through cell division
2. under certain physiologic conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organ-specific cells with special functions
The embryos used in stem cell studies were created for reproductive purposes through in vitro fertilization.
Scientists primarily work with two kinds of stem cells:
1. embryonic stem cells
2. stomatic stem cells
A starting population of stem cells that proliferate in months may yield millions of cells.
Embryonic cells are not derived from the eggs inside a woman's body.
Human embryonic stem cells are generated by transferring cells from a preimplantation-stage embryo into a plastic laboratory culture dish that contains a nutrient broth known as culture medium.
To be useful for transplanting, stem cells must be reproducibly made to:
- Proliferate extensively and generate sufficient tissue quantities
- Differentiate into the desired cell type or types.
- Survive in the recipient post-transplantation
- Avoid harming the recipient
- Integrate into the surrounding tissue after transplant.
- Function for the duration of the recipient's life.
A slightly religious way people tend to look at it:
I like this particular political cartoon because it illustrates (it's a pun....get it?....hehe) the controversy behind the stem cell research. Many believe it to be unethical and murderous, and many others believe it to be revolutionary and helpful.
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