Exploring the Benefits and Issues of Embryonic Stem Cell Research
What are the benefits and issues regarding embryonic stem cell research?
Embryonic stem cell research has both benefits and issues that are important to consider. One of the key benefits is the potential to increase our understanding of how diseases occur and develop. By studying embryonic stem cells, researchers can gain valuable insights into the mechanisms behind various diseases, paving the way for the development of new treatments and therapies.
However, embryonic stem cell research also raises ethical concerns and issues. The use of human embryos for research purposes is a highly controversial topic, as it involves the destruction of these embryos. This raises questions about the moral implications of using embryonic stem cells in scientific research.
Understanding Embryonic Stem Cells
What is embryonic stem cell? Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells grown from the inner mass of an early pre-implantation embryo called a blastocyst. Four to five days after fertilization, human embryos reach the blastocyst stage, when they are made up of fifty to one hundred fifty cells.
The inner cell mass of the human blastocyst, an early stage of the growing embryo that lasts from the fourth to the seventh day after fertilization, contains embryonic stem cells (ESCs). They vanish after the seventh day and start to form the three layers of embryonic tissue in a typical developing embryo.