Controvery Over Fetal Tissue Research

Fetal cells possess remarkable characteristics that are highly prized by medical researchers and practitioners. These cells are highly durable and can thrive under conditions that would thwart the viability of adult cells. Once transplanted, fetal cells exhibit prodigious growth capability; they even appear to secrete chemical growth enhancers. The likelihood of rejection of fetal cells is minimal because of their plastic quality. Cells in the embryonic stage have not yet been encoded with rigid biological imprints; therefore, fetal tissues are less specialized than their adult counterparts: "In an adult, tissue is highly specialized--muscle tissue cannot take on the work of the liver--but cells taken from fetuses, perhaps into the third trimester, retain much of their adaptability" (4:51). Fetal tissue also has the ability to restore damage in the host environment and to replace biochemical functions

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art by anti-abortion sentiment in the Reagan administration. Opponents of fetal tissue research circulated reports of scientific experiments in which live fetuses were decapitated or kept alive in saline solution. Outrage over such experimentation forced the American public to examine its thinking about the moral status of the human fetus. President Bill Clinton lifted the moratorium shortly after taking office, claiming that scientific research should not be held hostage to abortion politics. The controversy over fetal tissue research centers on the very definition of life itself. Biologically, a fetus is described in terms of previability and viability. A fetus is an embryo that has passed the eight-week gestation period after fertilization of the ovum by the sperm. The previable period generally applies to any fetus younger than 22 weeks and weighing less than 500 grams (4:79). The viable period occurs when the fetus is capable of surviving outside the mother's womb. The medical community uses a conservative estimate of previability because determining the precise age of the fetus while still in the womb is difficult: "The current viability standard is, therefore, set not at the point where fetal long-term survivabili
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Approximate Word count = 2069
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)