Stemming Our Cells

Stem cells have gathered the age old divide in the community; to use or to not. But what really are stem cells?

Stem cells are cells that have yet to be differentiated, yet to decide what they will become. At the request of the body's dire needs, stem cells take form of what functions lack and thus support the body in that manner. However, once differentiated, stem cells can no longer change their function and serve to specialize in what they have become; most cells, under the right conditions, can create daughter stem cells that would fulfill the same purpose.

The harvest of stem cells can take form in many different ways. Some stem cells can be acquired through the bone marrow of the body, where the stem cells can differentiate into one of two blood types; B or T cells. When taken from the bone marrow, about 0.5-1.5 liters of blood can also be taken with it as precautionary measures. Sometimes, the harvest can be done from your own body and delivered to your own body or it can be taken from someone else and delivered to you. Another way they can be harvested is through the umbilical cord and oocytes. Oocytes are immature egg cells that cannot be sustained and are found in women. These oocytes require nutrition from a developed egg cell or supplementary nutrition, however, they are spawned as a result of many stem cells being clustered.

The ethics behind stem cells mostly exists due to the oocytes. To take these oocytes from a woman means to violate the privacy of her rights and of her body. Since this is a highly controversial topic, already seen with birth control, many believe the harvest of stem cells through this nature is highly unethical. Furthermore, to ensure that the woman is safe after the oocyte is harvested creates another issue since it is a taxing process on a woman and thus there must be precautions taken that vary per person.

While there are ethical issues plaguing stem cell harvest, they are a source for cancer prevention or even the fight against cancer. Even with diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, the need for stem cells to rehabilitate broken neuron cells and the brain stem would reinvigorate function in the body and bring back some of the lost motor skills.

As of now, stem cells continue to be a major unknown in our future of medical technology. Only time and society can tell if its harvest can be permitted in the nature that it is founded in.