| View Poll Results: What do you think of stem cell research? | |||
| For it completely |     | 4 | 44.44% |
| Against it completely |    | 1 | 11.11% |
| Against human embryonic stem cell research |    | 2 | 22.22% |
| other |    | 2 | 22.22% |
| Voters: 9. You may not vote on this poll | |||
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Offline Offline This is my first attempt at posting a reply so I hope it works out. First of all, I am no expert but I perhaps a layman's perception might be a good starting point for you.
Probably the important thing about stem cells is that they can be grown into a variety of specialised tissues to help repair or even replace damaged tissue (perhpas even spinal nerve cells one day).
The controversy is over the source over the type of stem cell: adult or embryonic (there is another but I can't recall what it is). There has been a great deal of success with trials using adult stem cells and because this is less controversial, more funding is generally available. Adult stem cells cannot provide unlimied expansion though and this is where in theory embryonic stems cells should have an advantage. The big problem is that these cells can only be harvested by destroying the embryo or by providing a good supply through cloning.
I am sure you can see how this falls foul within a number of religions.
Just my two cents worth...
I was just thinking of how I should explain it, but you generalized it pretty well. There are a limited amount of embryonic stem cells that exist only in the blastocyst, and only a few weeks after conception.. These cells possess telomease-they are biologically immortal. These cells become specialized cells soon after, and are usually considered pluripotent, b/c they can become any of the 220 cells in the body. They become cells such as cardiac muscle brain cells, wbc's. spinal cord, rods and cones, etc.. And as you can imagine, they are wanted for this remarkable ability of becoming ANY cell in the human body. Adult cells are already specialized cells, and they are usually a lot older... Further stem cell research may be able to cure many diseases of today.. but, embryonic stem cell research is not backed by the U.S. government b/c it is considered 'immoral' since it involves the creation and destruction of a human embryo. Some people agree, others disagree. Personally, I think embryonic stem cell research should be legal, and funded just like everything else.. 
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