Embryos Leftover from in vitro Fertilization Efforts: Are They Trash or Research Material?
- Author Yvonne Perry
- Published March 12, 2009
- Word count 411
There's a big buzz in the scientific community because President-elect Barack Obama plans to issue an executive order allowing federal funding for new embryonic stem cell research.
In an article by Reuters on February 15, 2009, a reporter indicated that stem cells come from cells that must be extracted from human embryos. That implies that these cells are being taken from the womb, and this is simply not true. I wish the media would clarify that these cells are being cultivated and stored in a laboratory, not a woman's body.
Federal funding will not destroy any embryos. The cells used by scientists come from blastocysts leftover from in vitro fertilization. Those cells would have been disposed of anyway, unless they are adopted by another couple! The freezer life of these cells are not eternal, so while we are waiting for a reversal, a decision is being made. We have decided that these cells are better off in the trash than they would be if used for research that could help millions of living human beings.
A sad commentary for all of us—especially conservatives who consider themselves as pro-life. Allowing sick and injured people to die does not save babies or blastocysts.
The Bush Administration did not ban research on all blastocyst cells. In 2001, President George Bush hampered stem cell research by restricting government funding on embryonic stem cell research to the stem cell lines created prior to April 2001. Therefore, Bush is not a hero for saving poor little embryos that were on the chopping block. Those cells are still being discarded. Instead, he delayed research that could have advanced science to a point where we could have seen cures for many illnesses by now.
Blastocysts created prior to 2001 used old technology cultivated with mouse feeder cells and only represent a limited cross-section of the population. Newer technology without mouse cells is easier to work with and represents better diversity. Obama's reversal of Bush's veto will still mean we are eight years behind schedule, and that people have had to suffer (and die) for a religious cause based on a misinformed opinion rather than scientific fact.
I wrote a book about stem cell research that explains the details regarding the science of stem cell research, the politics behind it, and the manner in which religion has interfered with good government and the will of the people. You will find up-to-date information and a song about stem cell research at www.right2recover.com .
Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). For more information about writing, networking, publishing, and book promotion, or to sign up for free email delivery of WITS newsletter, please visit http://www.writersinthesky.com. New subscribers receive a free eBook Tips for Freelance Writing.
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- Out with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael: 230,000 Irish Children Living in Poverty
- Why Women of Color Need to Support Kamala Harris
- Equipping the Youth With the Skills to Survive
- The Dark Reality of Forced Prison Labor: Why I Stand Behind Proposition 6
- Analyzing the Leadership Qualities of Abraham Lincoln during Crisis Situations and Racial Legal Issues: Studies
- Exploring the System of Checks and Balances Among the Three Branches of Government Machinery
- An Analysis of the Political Landscape in Guatemala and Its Impact on Regional Stability
- Gossip! How Caryma Sa'd convinced Jeremy Mackenzie to work for the RCMP
- Analyzing the Cultural and Historical Significance of Mongolia in Relation to Its Socio-Political Context
- Left, Right, and Ridiculous
- The Effect of Brexit on the UK Fishing Tackle Industry
- A Visionary Leader for Somalia's Future: Mohamed Said Deni's Path to the Presidency in 2026
- Potential 2024 Padang Pariaman Regent Candidates Form Three Axes: High Chances of Fierce Competition
- Russia Gate-How It Happened
- How the Manhattan D.A. is changing Politics in America
- How Corruption is Destroying Development in Africa
- What Happens if Houthi vs US Led Operations takes another turn involving Russia and China? Regional wide impact.
- Why America Needs More Moderate Republicans
- From Importer To Exporter: The Shifting Geopolitics Of U.S. Energy Policy
- The Dark Side of Globalization: Inequality, Conflict, and the Struggle for Resources
- Escalation in the Israel-Palestine Conflict: Unpacking the Recent Hamas Attack
- What Frosts My Nuts: The End Time Has Come
- What Frosts My Nuts: Nixon had Big Balls but not P.B.J.
- The 2024 presidential election is already over.
- The Clown King of East Africa
- The Concerning Power Play of New York's Attorney General: A Threat to Its Politician and New Yorkers
- Who has the Right to Control another Adult's Life Without their Consent?
- Can the Charter of Democracy Save Pakistan’s Imperiled Democracy?
- Is Iran in a revolutionary situation?
- Why We Must Be Masters of Our Counter Culture