Question

Stem Cell Research
The inner cell mass in a blastocyst is pluripotent. Pluripotency means that each one of the
cells is capable of differentiating into any type of cell in the human body.
These pluripotent cells can be used to create any cells, tissues, or organs in the body. They
can replace organs without the patients having to worry about organ rejection or taking
immune-suppressing medication for the rest of their lives in order to reduce the chance of
organ rejection. The pluripotent cells can also be used to help those with diabetes, spinal
cord injury, multiple sclerosis, or cancer, among many of diseases.
There are several different sources of pluripotent cells. The best and most reliable source
is the stem cells from an embryo. There are other types of stem cells such as induced
pluripotent cells and embryonic stem cells created through various processes.
In Canada, unused embryos from an in vitro fertilization procedure may be donated for
stem cell research. However, the gamete or embryo donors must explicitly consent to the
use to of gametes or embryos for stem cell research. Otherwise, the gametes and embryos
collected for reproductive purposes need to be discarded.
Should the Canadian policy regarding human pluripotent stem cell research be changed
so that all unused gametes and embryos should be made available for research unless
explicitly stated by the donors?

41. a. Consider the following perspective: social,cultural,environmental, ethical,and economic considerations,then state your position.

PERSPECTIVE:

YOUR POSITION:

b. Provide at least two supporting arguments.

42. Provide at least one resource you used to research the topic.

Answer 1

41,a.Some argue that as long as the decision to donate embryos for research is made after the decision to discard them.it is morally permissible to use them in HEMS research even if we assume that they have the moral status of persons.However,human embryonic stem cell research is ethically and politically controversial because it involves the destruction of human embyos.In the United States the question of when human life begins has been highly controversial and closely linked to debates and abortion Most commonly this controversy focuses on embryonic stem cells not all stem cell research involves human embroys for example adult stem cells , amniotic stem cells,and induced pluripotent stem cells don not involve creating, using,or destroying human embroys and thus are minimally if at all controversial, However HESC research is ethically and politically controversial because it involves the destruction of human embryos as a matter of religious faith and moral conviction they believe that human life begins at conception and that an embryo is therefore a person.Current federal law enacted bby Congress is clear in prohibiting research in which a human embryo are destroyed discarded or knowlingly subjected to risk of injury the risk of embyonic stem cell includes

1,tumour formation, inappropriate stem cell migration and neurological complications

2,neurosurgical haemorrhage and postoperative infection.

So deriving stem cells destroys the blastocyst an unimplanted human embryo atbthe sixth to eight day of development

So the Canadian policy is correct and no unused gametes or embroys should be given for research unless the consent is received

41,b.The ethics of using Human Embryonic stem cells in research.Assume for the sake of argument that it is morally impermissible to destroy human embryos

.it does not follow all research with HESCs is impermissible as it is sometimes permissible to benefit from moral wrongs

42.tertiary source

Plato.stanford.edu(Ethics of stem cell research)

Published on Fri April 25,2008