Scientists Finally Taking Research Too Far?
Stem cells being extracted from blastocyst.
Boh-bum… boh-bum… boh-bum. I can almost hear the sound of my mother’s heartbeat, but yet I know it does not exist. I’m here, concealed under a strange transparent dish, being looked upon by gigantic beings, humans. My mother is a human. Now they near me with a long, sharp stick in their hand. What is that? What will they do to me? Soon, I see the sharp stick pierce into my cradle, the only home that I’ve ever had since my mother’s womb. Now the stick enters to where I slumber, and soon… emptiness, hollowness greets me. Goodbye mother.
Since the 1960s, scientists have been using embryonic stem cells for the production of complete organs to replace affected organs, such as kidneys or the heart, which in turn will avoid the donor search. They have also attempted to regenerate cell tissues that will be used in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer and Parkinson). Ernest A. McCulloch and James E. Till, two Canadian scientists, were the ones to introduce the idea of using stem cells from embryos in order to find ways of improving the medical field’s treatment for the patients. Since this discovery, Embryonic Stem Cell Research has been one of the most controversial issues, next to abortion. And in many ways, the two are very alike.
Embryonic stem cells are the cells that can be found in the very early stages of a growing embryo, or at least three to five days past conception. The cells that are needed by the scientists are the ones that are located within the blastocyst. The blastocyst is the inner cell mass of the embryo itself; this is where the embryo will begin to grow and where the scientists will take the needed cells. With the absence of these cells in the blastocyst, the embryo will grow insufficiently, thus having it terminated otherwise the fetus will not grow properly and will have an imminent death.
Once the cells have been taken, the embryonic cells will then be isolated by transferring their inner cell mass, which are the cells that were derived from the blastocyst, into a petri dish that contains nutrients for the cells. These nutrients are in the form of a liquid and are spread over the cells in the dish so they can better support the cells as well as nourish them. After this, the cells will then divide over the surface of the dish; the inner surface of the dish is coated with mouse embryonic skin cells that serve as a feeder layer. A feeder layer is when additional cells (i.e. embryonic mouse cells) are used so they can prevent further division of the human embryonic cells, as well as provide them with further nourishment. Because of the use of the mouse cells, the human cells are at risk of contracting viruses or other microscopic molecules that could cause the cells to become deficient, which is why researches have been assessing their ways further so they can prevent this for later researches.
Scientists have tried countless times to achieve their fantasy like medical treatments, and, unfortunately, they have only come so far but not close enough. And because of their lack of knowledge that can be gathered from the cells, innocent lives are being taken. These cells are microscopic, yes, and the growing fetus, it appears to be, doesn’t yet feel any pain or love so does that mean that it is acceptable to end their potential life so soon?
The answer should be no. The embryo is nothing more but an experiment to these scientists; they don’t know that they are actually dealing with a human being. These cells help the embryo grow into a fetus, then into baby, and soon a child, adolescent, adult, and then their life is fulfilled. Why would someone want to take a potential and beautiful life away? Each life is unique and deserves the fullest while on this planet; no living thing should be brought up in a test tube, then have their life quickly taken away from it.
Embryos aren’t toys and no matter how fast these scientists can just grow another cell or have another embryo donated to them, it still doesn’t erase the fact that they are literally ending lives every single day that they walk into their office. So now I leave you with this plea. Yes, cloning and perfect health and immortality sound marvelous, but what are researchers willing to do to get there? People have become sick and some even pass on; this has been going on since the beginning of time. But as we keep moving forward into the future, we find other ways, ways that can be unsettling, to extend our life span.
So I ask you now. Will you let these scientists keep doing what they call work, letting them seize the only life support the embryos have while they leave them there to wither away? Can you let these scientists get away with taking a life of a beautiful child, while another child is given theirs? There are infinite amounts of ways to finding cures to those seemingly incurable diseases. Don’t let the extermination of embryos be one of them.
