Therapeutic Cloning and Breast Implants: New Tehnologies Change Public Opinon

New Technologies Change Public Opinion

Stem cell research is experiencing great advances, allowing humans to see a future where diseases of today will not be of such concern tomorrow. The latest advancement in the field of stem cell research, therapeutic cloning, allows the use of genetic material from an individual inserted into embryonic cells to create new cells that can be used to replace damaged or nonfunctioning cells implicated in major diseases from heart disease to Alzheimer's to diabetes. In addition, stem cell technology is now being used for the future creation of breast implants to create a safer, more consumer-friendly option for women in need of breast replacements. An upside of this new application is that it may make therapeutic cloning research for medical purposes more palatable to people who would otherwise not see the immediate benefits of stem cell-based technology.

In order to understand what therapeutic cloning is and how it can be applied, it is first relevant to review stem cell research and the controversies surrounding it. Stem cell technology utilizes cells that can be changed to other types of cells to replace damaged cells in the body. The term ôstem cellsö comes from the likeness of these human cells to specialized cells in a plant stem that can become other cells and ultimately give rise to the bark, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit of a plant (Bohlin, 2004). Human stem cells can be found places in

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inserted into the egg and used to suck out both the polar body and the egg's DNA. A cumulus cell, taken from the patient and thus containing the patient's own DNA, is inserted into the egg. The DNA from the cumulus cell then directs the future development of the egg to create cells that have nuclear DNA identical to that of the patient. The egg is treated with chemicals that cause it to divide. Within twenty-four hours the egg will have divided into two cells. By the fourth or fifth day, the egg has divided to create a hollow ball of cells called a ôblastocyst.ö On an inner portion of the blastocyst are stem cells that are ôpleuropotent,ö that is, they can become any cells that are found in the body. The blastocyst is broken apart and the stem cells are removed and grown to produce more stem cells that are copies of the originals, that is, the stem cells are cultured in a petri dish. These cells can then be treated with other chemicals to become cells of tissues that a patient may need, such as nerve, blood-forming, pancreatic, or cardiac tissues, all containing the patient's own nuclear DNA (ôTherapeuticà,ö 2001). Therapeutic cloning holds promise for the future because of their pleuropotency and immortality in the laboratory. A
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Liu Roy, Opinion Stem, British Canadians, Alzheimer's Parkinson's, Retrieved April, North America, Schuklenk Ashcroft, President Bush, ACT November, Advancement Medicine, stem cell, stem cells, breast implants, therapeutic cloning, retrieved april, 27 2005, retrieved april 27, april 27 2005, april 27, stem cell research, cell research, embryonic stem, cell technology, stem cell technology, stem cell therapy,
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Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)