The Pros And Cons Of Stem Cell Research

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Stem cell research is the method of using the stem cells of a person for scientific purposes. Some might think of stem cells and relate it to embryos or abortion, however this is not always the case. A stem cell is a particular type of cell that has the ability to produce an indefinite amount of cells. Everybody has them. However, “embryonic” stem cells, or the stem cells of embryos are the most popular for science, as they grow more exponentially than any other cell at any other stage in human life. That is how in only nine months, a human can grow from a tiny cell into an eight pound baby. Experimenting on and with humans has always been a touchy subject, similarly regarding cloning, cryogenics, or reanimating the dead as seen in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The use of embryonic stem cells in research is very controversial, similarly to abortion. …show more content…

One con of stem cell research is the sheer conflict it is causing. People are very black and white about their opinions on the topic. A big reason that people are against it is related to religion. The Vatican declared that “From the time that the ovum is fertilized, a new life has begun” (World). Those who practice Catholicism “believe that Almighty God creates… an immortal soul… that [starts] life… at the moment of conception” (World) and therefore, killing an embryo is no better than killing a fully grown human. On the other hand, the reason the research is so popular is that, if successful it could theoretically cure otherwise incurable diseases, the cells could grow organs that could be used for transplants and they are, at the early embryonic stage, “totipotent, that is, under the appropriate conditions… could develop into a complete, individual organism” (Biomedical). Using these methods could change the world in so many excellent