StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Mainstream Views on Stem Cell Research - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Mainstream Views on Stem Cell Research" states that there is near universal agreement among scientists that stem cell research is an important and complex endeavor that offers the promise of treating, and perhaps curing, a million patients who suffer from serious degenerative disorders…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96% of users find it useful
Mainstream Views on Stem Cell Research
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Mainstream Views on Stem Cell Research"

My research question is as follows: do medical advancements and biomedical progress outweigh the controversial ethical and moral acts made in stem cell research? My argument is that the medical and social benefits stem cell research brings to humanity are the past progress and future development of the research. For the analysis and argument on stem cell research, three academic sources were selected.

The article by L. Leydesdorff and I. Hellsten's “Metaphors and Diaphors in Science Communication: Mapping the Case of Stem-Cell Research” in Science Communication examines the term “stem cell” and how it varies in different contexts of research, applications, and policy debates. From the very beginning, the authors emphasize the pressing importance of stem cell research, indicating that United States President George W. Bush addressed the political and social issue of stem cell research, specifically, embryonic stem cell research and it was the first time an American President had gone on national television in a special broadcast on a bioethical issue (Leydesdorff & Hellsten, 71). Later in November 2001, Bush convinced Congress to ban reproductive and therapeutic cloning of stem cells (Leydesdorff & Hellsten, 71). The authors point out that these restrictive policies have greatly affected both scientific research in the United States and the public debate over stem cell research. More specifically Leydesdorff and Hellsten focus on the communication of stem cell research to the general public and the importance of it to the latter. From the authors’ perspective, it is evident that stem cell research will receive the fullest reception from society.

In her book “Stem Cell Research” Lillian Forman provides a thorough analysis of almost every aspect of stem cell research, from its medical potential and future benefits to policy problems associated with research implementation. Forman explains in scientific terms what stem cell research constitutes and the difference between embryonic stem cells and adult stem cell development. The position of the author regarding stem cell research is embedded in the statement made by University of Wisconsin scientist James Thompson: there are 400,000 frozen embryos in the United States, and a large percentage of those are going to be thrown out, and it makes sense that it is a better moral decision to use them to help people than just to throw them out. Stem cells can be transplanted into the body to treat diseases and injuries: from Parkinson's disease and diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.

The purpose of the book “Stem Cell Wars” by Eve Herold is to provide a clear and understandable explanation of what stem cell research is, to answer why it is a debatable policy, and to demonstrate what modern science is capable of. Among three sources selected for stem cell research analysis, Herold’s book provides the most distinctive and fundamental analysis of its moral and ethical implications. From the critical perspective, Eve Herold takes a clear scientific side in this debate, arguing that opponents of stem cell research have managed to deeply entangle it in millions of people’s minds with the practice of abortion (Herold, 68). Herold indicates that since the first stem cell was isolated at the University of Wisconsin, moral opponents have carried on a massive campaign of misinformation, to the extent that millions of Americans are either deeply confused about what the research entails or believe that mainstream scientists are immoral and unethical. The author’s final argument states that stem cells have the potential to treat or even cure the more than 100 million Americans who suffer from an array of illnesses and conditions from heart disease to spinal cord injuries.
Stem cell research received extensive attention from publicists, academics, scientists, and political analysts. Therefore, the main challenge in the literature search was to find reliable and adequate materials that not only provide authors’ positions on the debate but also conduct a thorough analysis of the issue from multiple perspectives. I believe Eve Herold’s book is a primary example of an ideal academic resource for this research. Another obstacle during the research was that some of the literature on stem cell research is either too biased, particularly religious articles and publications, or too technical and thus difficult to understand without medical background and knowledge. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Inquiry Brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1570077-inquiry-brief
(Inquiry Brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1570077-inquiry-brief.
“Inquiry Brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1570077-inquiry-brief.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Mainstream Views on Stem Cell Research

Evidence Based Practice - aim is to demonstrate well-reasoned argument skills

Although there are different views on the subject, a critical view of what these services entail will help explain the reluctance to include them in Medicare coverage.... research has revealed that complementary and alternative health services such as chiropractic, acupuncture and nutritional supplements play a key role in promoting health.... There is minimal qualitative and quantitative research to prove the success stories from these complementary practitioners scientifically valid....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Disability Barriers in Accessing Mainstream Education

he era of the 1890s appeared as a hope in the history of British Education for disabled students as the then psychologists and scholars after going through various research work turned out to be successful in finding out that genes have nothing to do with disability.... The research work was proved by several IQ theories (IQ Fatalism) presented in the early nineteenth century by Simon and Binet.... The author of the paper "Disability Barriers in Accessing mainstream Education" states that the time period ranging between 1875-1890 was the era, which gave birth to the roots of segregation as a disability in this phase and even before this was considered a genetic disease, uncured....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Republicans stand on Stem Cell Research

People, is what democracy is all about.... With respect to people, leaders are the sculptors of their dream worlds.... Broadly classifying, there are two varieties of leaders one with republican stance while the other with a democratic stance.... .... ... ... People, is what democracy is all about....
13 Pages (3250 words) Essay

The Oath of Hippocrates

These questions deal with issues such as biomedical engineering, cloning, stem cell research, physician-assisted suicide, abortion rights, as well as the role of the hospital itself; and although some such issues may seem very specific, the philosophical implications for how they might be handled or addressed are far-reaching, and indicate what the fundamental relationship between a medical practitioner and the patient might be—or should be.... Certainly, it is difficult to decide when human choices are well informed and rational and when they are not; 'Medical ethics in the modern sense refers to the application of general and fundamental ethical principles to clinical practice situations, including medical research,' (Steinberg 1998: 3)....
32 Pages (8000 words) Essay

Inclusion of Deaf Pupils in Mainstream Schools

his paper ''Inclusion of Deaf Pupils in mainstream Schools'' tells us that the SEN and Disability Act 2001(DDA), launched in January 2002 a radical rectification of the Education Act 1996 which formalized the concept of inclusion of the formerly segregated disabled pupils to be integrated into the mainstream schools.... The provision for inclusion of SENs in the mainstream schools is therefore a noble ideal that will incorporate the UN objectives of equal rights for all children (UNICEF, 2006) and (NDCS, 2008)....
14 Pages (3500 words) Essay

Cochlear Implants - The Future of Clinical Remediation of Hearing Loss

n fact, some experts believe that cochlear implants hold the future for the hearing loss problem because of advancement in technology and research.... Some believe that research on cochlear will provide information on how to cure hearing loss problems that are not cochlear dependent, for instance, genetic hearing loss (Wilson and Dorman, 15).... This solution will make it possible for the deaf to integrate into the mainstream society....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

American Culture and Americanization

The paper focuses on American culture, one of the strongest cultures in the whole world.... The history of the United States dates back to several centuries.... The high proportion of immigrants to the United States, who arrived as slaves, has largely influenced American culture.... ... ... ... The entertainment world wears a face that is American....
12 Pages (3000 words) Term Paper

Research Methodology and Research Design

The paper 'research Methodology and research Design' is a perfect variant of the literature review on science.... The paper 'research Methodology and research Design' is a perfect variant of the literature review on science.... The paper 'research Methodology and research Design' is a perfect variant of the literature review on science.... In their attempt to construct prevailing research stances, Pang et al....
6 Pages (1500 words) Literature review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us