Stem Cells

[Cyprus106]

Go.

And I don't care if it's been discussed. Someone explain thoroughly what stem cell research does and why, please. If nobody does by tomorrow, I'll do it. I'm just counting on someone with a better ability to explain than I. but I want it to be as clear AND UNBIASED as possible in written explaination so we don't get the morons screaming about how we're tearing the arm off a child or something right off the bat.

[thrasher]

It's fairly simple. Undifferentiated cells (aka stem cells) from embryos are sent along a developmental pathway with molecular triggers that switch on/off specific biochemical pathways at specific times and or locations that lead to the development of mature tissue that can be used for medicinal purposes.

[quteasabutton]

stems cells are something of a medical miracle breakthru. just like thrasher said, they're cells that haven't yet been made into say, a liver cell, or a heart cell, or a brain cell. they can go any way they need to for development. stem cells are so crucial because for people who need organ transplants but there aren't enough available organs or their body is rejecting outside ones can now have their own organs regrown for them in a laboratory.

people who against stem cells are pretty much ignorant of how they work. no one is dying to give research available stem cells. yes they're from eggs or embryos. they come from there because when an egg is just fertilized, all the cells just multiply, later becoming more specialized.

that should be a pretty basic summary, sorry if i missed anything important.

[driftinggrifter2]

Just watch the south park episode from season 7. With Chris Reeves in it.

[sameintheend01]

how about i mod this thread =). everyone is doing pretty well.

button- ppl that are against the research are not ignorant of how they work. the argument they have (however vaild) is that the egg has to be fertilized to a certain cell stage and then explanted from the uterus. they compare this to abortion. Even though I don't see this as abortion (i think an abortion is after the embryo becomes a fetus and the heart starts beating), it does bring up a somewhat valid point. the stem cells can still be harvested from the afterbirth, thereby not doing an "abortion".

[quteasabutton]

i'm like 99% positive stem cells can be found in the umbilical cord as well. so there. stem cells DON'T equal abortion. and about those people all hung up on abortion. as if we don't have enough people in the world already?

[Damien]

Actually, let's set a story straight. While stem cells can be harvested after birth, they are not as good as what they can get from the fetus.

as mentioned, stem cells have the ability to do anything, like the utility played in baseball. Cells are typically assigned to an organ to perfrom a specific function, but with stem cells, they have the ability to do any function for any organ. These are called totipotent stem cells and pleuripotent stem cells on the other hand can only become either type of blood cell and nothing more. These are harvested from developed bodies.

Also as mentioned, totipotent stem cells come from 4 day old embryos. Since the gov't has yet to declare and official definition as to whether abortion is murder or not, the Bush admin has banned this sort of harvesting of stem cells. Later on, Bush only ended gov't funding while provate corp. can still fund, scientists know that it'll never match gov't funding.

The silver lining on all this though is that pleuripotent stem cells can still be harvested and while they have no where near the same potential as totipotnent stem cells, being able to possible cure Parkison's, Alzheimer's, and osteoporosis, there is a chance that a huge group of these cells can help out.

Now, while i don't care for stem cell research it shouldn't be banned. For the lack of information on the government's part, if abortions are still allowed so should this. But hey, what good is it discussing it here when it's still stopped no matter what.

[quteasabutton]

this whole bush thing needs to end. the guy can't even string a sentence together, i've watched some of his interviews and it's pathetic. why would he be against something that could cure millions of people in this country of seriously debilitating and potentially fatal diseases? as of now, the only thing i can think of is ignorance.

[Damien]

is higher than ignorance. you can't think that low of a president. some have been lazy and others may have not done much, but never the less, they do know what they are doing one way or another or else they wouldn't have got there despite what any irrational thinkin may bring forth.

stem cells are a touchy subject and right now, something about taking 4day old fetus and cutting them open is not a popular thing. besides, science has provided a lot of thoughts and ideas, but what have we gotten? while on the way to these cures, who knows what they might find and what may come. good or bad. as said before though, if aboration is ok, this should be too.

to blame the president though is true ignorance 'cause there's always more to it than one guy saying he doesn't like it.

[quteasabutton]

cutting them open? you make it sound like it's a fully developed fetus. you acknowledge the fact that stem cells are simply somatic cells that aren't specialized. therefore at 4 days old and comprised solely of stem cells, it can be nothing more than a grouping of dividing cells. which is the same thing as cancer at that point in time. just something to think about.

[driftinggrifter2]

is higher than ignorance. you can't think that low of a president. some have been lazy and others may have not done much, but never the less, they do know what they are doing one way or another or else they wouldn't have got there despite what any irrational thinkin may bring forth.

Do your remember which president couldn't spell potatoe? Tell me you can't think of a president being ignorant.
But he does have a rational way of thinking as far as things go. The way of thinking is that alot of people in this country are religious and they don't like the idea of stem cells or cloning. As long as the majority of voters see it that way then this will be a losing battle to fight

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Originally Posted by driftinggrifter2

Do your remember which president couldn't spell potatoe? Tell me you can't think of a president being ignorant.
But he does have a rational way of thinking as far as things go. The way of thinking is that alot of people in this country are religious and they don't like the idea of stem cells or cloning. As long as the majority of voters see it that way then this will be a losing battle to fight

That was VICE PRESIDENT Quayle. President Bush's (SR) right hand man. Bush JR is still a moron.

[Damien]

Originally Posted by quteasabutten

cutting them open? you make it sound like it's a fully developed fetus. you acknowledge the fact that stem cells are simply somatic cells that aren't specialized. therefore at 4 days old and comprised solely of stem cells, it can be nothing more than a grouping of dividing cells. which is the same thing as cancer at that point in time. just something to think about.

um, no. this is a fetus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetus since you don't seem to know what one is. You're probably thinking of the embryonic stage, even earlier. At 4 days old, it still feeds off it's mother therefore cells don't need to be fully specialized. Research danielle...

And drifter, what does spelling have to do with ignorance? That's two totally different areas. So because Bush can't spell, which is what I'm assuming you're implying, that makes him ignorant? See, that doesn't go together. He maybe dumb, not smart, or something else, but ignorant, who really knows besides close people.

Dictionary.com and sadly wikipedia.com are good basic searches. As for medical stuff, I have 3 encyclopedias and my dad's a doctor. We argue about this for fun.

And like i said, frankly I dont care. It'd be nice to know that our gov't money is going to something productive as oppose to this new study I heard about, some weird shopping study, but he's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I think they should put up a choice for everyone. Gay marriages or abortions. Can't have both, but we'll let you have one. Heck, you'll find where people's hearts truly lie when you throw in choice C, gas under $1.50...even $2.

[YogsVR4]

Someting I think a few people need to keep in mind is that when you hear of stem cell research and the government, its about the funding and not making the research illegal.

I'm a big proponent of the government not handing money to anyone, research, welfare, rebuilding cities that idiots build below sea level. So nobody should get getting a dime of my hard earned money.

In any case, an example of how those who believe that harvesting the cells is murder could be equated to parts of the holocaust. German scientists experimented on the people in the concentration camps to collect data on all sorts of physiology.

To the scientists and German leaders, there was nothing wrong or immoral to what they were doing in the name of science.
Sure, there is a distinction between an undeveloped embryo and a human being tortured, but if you believe that killing both is murder, you can understand why some oppose it.

[Nicole8188]

Potato doesn't have an "e"

Edit - I'm with Damien on this, I'm for stem cell research as long as abortions are legal. And I believe in the right to privacy, so I think they should both be legal.

And I sort of agree with Yogs on the government giving handouts, but I disagree when it comes to research. There are so many advances that wouldn't have been made without the help of government funding.