stem-cell research Options

[smile4me]

do you support stem-cell researching? why or why not?
should federal funding be given to these researchers?
do you support embryonic or adult stem cells (or both)?

[sadolakced acid]

we watched a movie on stem cell research about 2 weeks ago in morality.  it stated that:

-stem cells taken from embryos are not nearly as useful as they thought they would be
-stem cells are very very common
-they can be found in: placenta, umbilical cords, and fat (america has enough of that!)

so, why are we killing potential babies when we can get stem cells that are more useful from a source that america has in huge abundance.

stem cell research is good, it can help and should be funded, but there's no sence in destroying embryos for it

i'm going to guess you weren't fully educated on stem cells.

there are different types of stem cells. stem cells are any cell that will become another cell.

adults have tons of stem cells, in your fingernails, in your fat, in your bones, everywhere.

however, the ones in your fingernails will only become keratin containing cells (fingernail material); and the ones in your fat will only become adipose tissue (fat cells), and the ones in your bones are will only produce bone cells.

therefore; adult stem cells have limited useability.

you cannot take the stem cells of pancreatic islet cells and use them to cure diabeties. because pancreatic islet cells don't have stem cells. if a virus kills your pancreatic islet cells, you're diabetic now.

the only cells that we currently know will create pancreatic islet cells (cure diabeties), cardiac muscle (repair heart after heart attack), brain tissue (cure alzheimer's, schizophrenia, necrosis), are embryonic stem cells.

now, embryonic stem cells can be found in the amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord. However, these cells are harder to use; they've mostly picked which cell they want to become.

the best cells for stem cell research come from the embryo:

now: if an embryo is stem cells, it means no brain, heart, lungs, or anything has formed.

and embryo consisting entierly of stem cells is no more a human than a ball of ameobae is. both can turn into a human, one just takes a hell of a lot longer.

now: the a source for embryonic stem cells would NOT be abortions.

it would be from fertility clinics.

if a couple goes to a fertility clinic, they harvest some 60 or so of her eggs, and get a sperm sample from him. they let the sperm fertilze the egg in vitro, which usually results in some 17 or so fertilized eggs.

now, of these 17 balls of embryonic stem cells, about 9 or so are good candidates to implant in her uterus.

however; only 2 or 3 are actually implanted.

so; you have per couple, about 14 balls of embryonic stem cells that either get frozen (if the couple may wish for another baby again), or thrown away.

that's right. the source for embryonic stem cells would be the trash can. and only of willing people.

so, walk into a fertility clinic, go threw everything, they say "well, looks like you'll be having twins. can we use the left over eggs for research? we ensure you they will not be grown into humans"

and if the couple says no, they throw the eggs away, or freeze them.

and only if the couple says yes, then they'd take the eggs and separate the cells, allow them to divide a little, and then use them for research.

that's it. that's where the embryonic stem cells would come from. not from embryos from abortion clinics, but from eggs that are currently being thrown away.

the 'life' (which some people believe is there) is already being 'killed'- why not save a million lives with it?