1. One
World
Essay
Xavier Tan
Grade 9
Biology
Stem Cells One World Essay
Beijing BISS International School
School Code: 1123
Date Submitted

2. One
World
Essay

3. One
World
Essay
Stem Cells
Did you know that stem cells have the ability to do almost anything a body can? They
can transform themselves into blood cells, marrow cells, brain cells and even embryo cells! They
are totipotent which means that they are able to transform into any cell. Stem cells can help
minimize cancer symptoms and potentially kill cancer rather than going through a series of
radioactive treatment. However, there are ethical and economical issues that concern the use of
stem cells, as well as cultural and personal opinions, besides it also take a lot of finance to help
support the researches and investigation.
Stem cells are cells that do not have a specific job in the body. Stem cells are something you
call ‘starter’ or special cell that are undifferentiated type of cell. Therefore, they can change and
transform to whatever cell is needed, which means that they can replace other forms of
treatments. Stem cells are in our bodies ever since we were born as embryos and up until the
adult body. Research shows that they can be developed without them being in a body, instead
from a controlled environment. Moreover, they are currently being researched on how to use
their abilities. They are totipotent which makes them able to divide into various cell types.
Adult stem cells exist in small amounts in several tissues in the body, helping maintain and
repair those tissues. (Adult stem cells cannot be substitutes
for embryonic stem cells, JDRF). Stem cells are similar to
the usual cells in our body; they have been in our bodies
since we were born. They can be both extracted from the
body, specifically from the bone marrow. They can divide
themselves into daughter cells, which prevents us from
extracting anymore from the bone marrow. Scientists place
the one cell that they extracted from the bone marrow into
a small dish with a type of liquid with nutrients in it. This
helps the cell to divide. They are already being used in
treatments for over one hundred diseases and conditions
(bio-medicine, 2009).
Stem cells have the advantage of doing
almost anything we want them to do for our body. Stem
cells
able
to
be
any
cell
in
our
body.
The
They can become embryonic cells, which forms Totipotent stem cells come form the early
embryos. These stem cells can create full
babies. This makes it easier for both couples that are organisms, although they are the most
unable to have babies and bisexual couples who want controversial type of stem cell. (top)
to start a family. Stem cells are able to reduce cancer
risks or harmful cells that threaten your body. This
means that they can be an alternative treatment for cancer, as treatment for cancer is
expensive yet dangerous to the body because of the radiation.
Although stem cells have a lot of advantages, they have an equal amount of
disadvantages. Stem cell research is costly. Most governments in the world do not fund the
research due to the lack of evidence that it would be a good cause. Lastly, adult stem cells are
hard to isolate and identify. Moreover, stem cell treatment maybe more expensive due to the
rare solutions available, there are not many people who would resort to a new treatment.

4. One
World
Essay
Ethical issues involve a lot decision making, as well as thinking for the best. Stem cell
research and treatment require a huge amount of time and thinking due to the expenses and
the results after it.
Couples that are unable to produce offspring can resort to having embryonic stem cells,
which is a solution for having a baby. This means that adoption wouldn’t be the only solution.
This also means that cloning would be possible in the near future, with experiments done
successfully on various animals. Cloning yourself, or at least a part of your body organs is
helpful because then you wouldn’t worry too much about your body accepting the organ. Both
of these functions of stem cell use a basic reproduction cycle. Scientists put the one cell into a
small dish with nutrients and water to let it divide. This one cell organism develops into either an
organ or an embryonic cell that is totipotent.
Using stem cells as an alternate route may not be the ideal situation for some couples,
as they would imagine a different baby when they receive it. This is due to the cause of using
stem cells to create a baby in the lab. For example, in 1998 an embryonic stem cell was finally
developed in a lab. However the scientists at the lab in charge of the experiment due to
suspicion of other cells developing instead. (ABC News, 2005)
An evidence of this issue would be that many countries have brought this issue up to
court due to the many incidents that have occurred during the past. Some scientists believed
that stem cells can be programmed to grow into cancer cells, even though they aren’t supposed
to. These cases exists, as scientists have tested this with lung cancer patients. They put the
cancer cells with the newly bred stem cells, which effected the stem cells. They found out that
the cancer cells infiltrated the stem cells, ending up creating more cancer cells.
Ethical issues can never be solved, only to be decided by the people themselves. Stem
cell research have various advantages as well as disadvantages, just the fact that it can be an
embryonic multipotent cell and totipotent cell already makes it a difficult decision.
The second one world issue is economics.
Stem cell research requires a huge amount of consistent funding to keep the research going.
This funding used to research the effects and techniques of cloning both animals and humans.
Cloning animals would mean that we would have more livestock to feed the population. Other
purposes for the funding would be researching embryonic cells. Scientists would then be able to
research more on how to keep the embryo alive in a lab. Finally, they would also be able to learn
how to prevent the stem cells from being reprogrammed to being cancer cells.
Corruption may occur with the money used for research. As said above, stem cell
research would require constant funding of research and it isn’t cheap. Adding to the fact that
stem cells are vulnerable to reprogramming by cancer cells, there may not be a solution for
that.
Economical issues are tough to decide. In a long term, stem cell research may prove
useful as reprogramming maybe reversed. In a short run, stem cell research may not have as
good as a result but would be able to find out how to clone as we are getting close to
perfecting the skills.
Although many issues are raised when stem cells are concerned, it maybe the solution to
may treatments for various diseases and illness such as cancer, Lou Gehrig’s disease,
Alzheimer’s and many other incurable diseases. The treatment would most likely cure the
disease and be available in the near future, however it might be expensive. Stem cell treatment
wouldn’t be available for the poor and needy, and it would still depend solely on the
government’s ability to fund the research. Hence, stem cell research should be available for all
people around the world.

5. One
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Essay
Bibliography:
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and Video Broadcasts - ABC News. National Institutes of Health, University of Wisconsin-
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id=785936>.
Boston, David. "Information on Stem Cells | eHow.com." eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More -
Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | eHow.com. N.p., 14 Mar. 2010. Web. 5 Sept. 2011.
<http://www.ehow.com/about_4841824_information-stem-cells.html>.
Dival, William . "Stem Cell Basics [Stem Cell Information]." NIH Stem Cell Information Home
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Genetic Science Learning Center (2011, January 27) Stem Cells. Learn.Genetics. Retrieved
September 5, 2011, from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/tech/stemcells/
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http://www.jdrf.org/files/legislative_action/2005_Stem_Cell_Facts_Sheets/
5.AdultLimitations.pdf
"Stem cell." Bio-Medicine - latest biology and medical news/technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 25
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http://townipproject.wikispaces.com/Stem+Cell+Research