There's a distinct difference between embryonic and adult stem cells. The fundamentalist right disapproves of embryonic stem cell research, which I don't agree with, but it's irrevelent when considering that adult stem cells can be found in any adult human. I am personally not updated with Bush's stance on adult stem cell research, but there is no logical reason against it. Many people disagree with it purely because they don't know what it is.
Yeah redneck is right the USA never banned stem cell research and I really hope they don't.Originally Posted by The Redneck
And mainly the reason why people mainly conservatives are against stem cell research because they really dont understnad it much.Due to the fact that the media doesn't report it (mainly fox news).Your eally dont need to get stem cells from a fetish.You can get them from an Adult Human without harming the person.The toughest part would be making sure the body accepts those cells.Like when someone gets an organ transplant and a few days alter their new organ is bleeding because their immune system is destroying it.That would be tough but stem cell research is neccessary for our advancement in medical science.
Last edited by lordblazer; 05-24-2005 at 04:23 AM.
And they never will. The stem cell debate has become polarized. It's turned into black and white nonsense. The conservatives will oppose it just for being conservative, and the liberals will support it just becuase they are liberals. No thought is going to go into it. It's the same with everything these days. People are run by stupidity and anger, and those are the only two reasons people will need to support or oppose anything. What a dismal state this society is in.I am personally not updated with Bush's stance on adult stem cell research, but there is no logical reason against it. Many people disagree with it purely because they don't know what it is.
this topic wasn't really meant to be political it was about that we have finally made the breakthrough which literally has tha bility to make the blind see and the paralyzed walk.
People avoid the effort of thought whenever they can.
The difference between embryonic and adult stem cells is that adult stem cells are only multipotent (can form multiple cell types), whereas embryonic stem cells are totipotent (can form [b]all[/]b cell types). If adult stem cells could be used, they would be.
Exactly. Thats why it has so many supporters.The difference between embryonic and adult stem cells is that adult stem cells are only multipotent (can form multiple cell types), whereas embryonic stem cells are totipotent (can form [b]all[/]b cell types). If adult stem cells could be used, they would be.
...but they can be used. If you need brain cells, you get the adult stem cell which can form brain cells. Adult stem cell research is the type which should be fully supported - because you can get them from any healthy human.
Not always. Some cells cannot be derived from adult stem cells. Do people just assume that we want to kill babies for the hell of it? 'Cause if so, theres no point in attempting intellegent debate....but they can be used. If you need brain cells, you get the adult stem cell which can form brain cells.
Unless I'm vastly mistaken(it has been well over two years since my last biology class), ALL cells can be derived from adult stem cells(by definition), as long as you have all of the different kinds of adult stem cells.
Arent most of the fetus's that they would be using aborted, and going to be destroyed anyways? Or am i mistaken, i heard that, but not from the most reliable fo sources.
With embryonic stem cell research, the embryos would most likely be manufactured in a lab. They wouldn't have progressed the stage of a fetus. Of course, it's not actually possible to make a baby in a lab, and the embryos would only last for...it's somewhere between 12 and 16 days, I think - it wouldn't actually grow into a baby, so again, I don't see what the big deal is about it. However, it's a moot point when you consider adult stem cell research.
I think adult stem cells are a better way to go, because you never get into the dangerous proposition of creating and destroying human life, and it seems that since what we are talking about is essentially going to be a business in 5-10 years, well, embryonic stem cells imo are kinda skirting the edge of slavery. The reason that it would be like slavery in my mind is that as embryonic stem cells become useful, they'll become valueable and thus be bought and sold on the market, much like in biological catalogues you can buy other living things (mostly bacteria).
Adult stem cells cannot cause this problem, and from what I understand, can actually solve another problem for us. You see, there are adult stem cells in fat, and as most people know, America doesn't exactly have a fat shortage. So we can "donate" our fat to research the adult stem cells. The philanthropist will lose 20-30 pounds of fat. The scientist gets to do research, and potentially people will be healed of deadly diseases.
So why use embryonic stem cells and open up the "human as commodity" can of worms when adult stem cells are roughly equivelent and pose no ethical problems?
Adult stem-cells can't be used for most cell types. I'm not sure HOW, exactly, it works, but each stem cell recieves a combination of signals that tell it what to become. The nature of this combination of signals, when completed, determines the usefulness of the stem cell.
I'll exemplify with words... assume each cell is a 5-letter word of some sort. A "fetal" cell reads like:
P---- (it can become "plays" or "plain" or "prays" or a bunch of other words.)
An "adult" stem cell reads something like
P-a-- (even though it can form all the above words, it is incabable of words like "plums" or "phone")
That's a GROSS simplification, but that's what we deal with. Adult stem cells appear the same, but won't respond the same to some stimuli. So, since we don't know how to reverse the process and "erase letters", we will forever be dependent upon fetal cells for much progress.
This is why we need adult stem cell research.
However, if your explanation is somewhat accurate(I don't know for myself), wouldn't it simply be a matter of gathering up a ton of adult stem cells? I mean, isn't having "P" just like having "Pa, Pb, Pc, Pd, etc."
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