Dianna CrokeProfessor Labecca JonesEnglish 112April 17, 2014Saving lives, not taking lives: the importance of stem cell researchStudying entire structures and complex organisms to understand how they work would be incredibly daunting. That's why it's best to understand the smaller concepts before tackling the bigger ones. Just like any large structure, the human body is complex in its engineering. Trying to understand this complexity by looking at the larger whole is not only daunting, but also futile. The smallest part of any organism are cells. All living things are made up of cells. Cells are the reason for life, healing and death. They contain the genetic material that determines the functions and breakdowns of the body. Cell death is necessary for the maintenance of health and for the eventual death of the organism of which it is a part. Without understanding the cells, it is not possible to understand the body. Scientists and doctors have long understood the need to research cells to improve the quality of life and treat ailments of the body. Cellular research has led to medicine's most important discovery: cell regeneration is responsible for healing. The search for cellular regenerative treatments has led to the discovery of stem cells, arguably the Holy Grail of medicine. Since the mid-1800s, scientists have considered the possibilities regarding these cells. As medicine has progressed, so have the possibilities. Stem cells are cells that have the potential to differentiate into other cells. Most blank slates, capable of becoming a specialized cell to adapt to any environment within the body. All stem cells are regenerative and can create infinite copies of cells. Unlike other treatments, the use of stem cells... middle of paper... discarded embryos. Discarded embryos are actually discarded blastocysts, which is a mass of cells found immediately after fertilization. These blastocysts are donated by couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Some of these may be poor-quality embryos that would otherwise be discarded. The resulting cells are considered “true” embryonic stem cells. Donated embryos are placed in prepared medium in special plates and left to develop for a few days. Around the fifth day the embryo reaches the blastocyst stage and forms a ball of 100-200 cells. At this stage, ES cells arise from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst. In some cases, ES cells can be isolated even before the blastocyst stage. The use of discarded embryos evokes strong emotions and beliefs in most people, which leads to questioning the ethics in this procedure.