5.7 Stem Cells and Embryos - Science and Ethics

Question 1

More recently what have doctors investigated the use of embryonic stem cells to do?

Answer 1

They have the potential to differentiate into a wide variety of cells

Question 2

Where are embryonic stem cells taken from?

Answer 2

• spare embryos from IVF
• created from adult cells
• may be taken from the umbilical cord of newborn babies

Question 3

What can embryonic stem cells be used for?

Answer 3

To grow new tissues and organs for transplants

Question 4

Name 4 reasons people are concerned about the use of embryos

Answer 4

• the work is only experimental
• they have the potential for life and are destroyed
• it cannot give permission to be used
• the research is expensive

Question 5

What is embryo screening?

Answer 5

Tests used to diagnose disorders before the baby is born in order to give parents choices

Question 6

What are the effects on the parents of embryo screening if the results show the baby does have a disorder?

Answer 6

They have choices. They can either:
•terminate the pregnancy
•the parents who don’t agree with the ethics of terminating the pregnancy can agree to go through with the pregnancy but prepare themselves for the delivery of an affected baby

Question 7

What are the ethical implications of IVF?

Answer 7

In IVF the embryos are screened and only healthy embryos are implanted to the mother. The embryos carrying faulty genes are destroyed and some people think this is unethical

Question 8

Name 3 advantages of differentiating stem cells from adult bone marrow or embryos.

Answer 8

• they can treat some disorders such as leukaemia (adult cells)
• they have the potential for differentiating into a wide variety of cells (embryo cells)
• they can be used for growing new tissues or organs for transplants

Question 9

Name 4 disadvantages of embryo cells differentiating

Answer 9

• the research is only experimental
• the embryos have potential for life and are destroyed
• the embryos cannot give permission to be used
• the research is expensive

Question 10

Name a development of stem cell differentiation for the future

Answer 10

•building new body parts, rebuilding human parts

Question 11

Arguments for and against stem cell research

Answer 11

For:
•could save lives
•embryos are only going to be destroyed anyway
•can be used to grow more cells for transplants

Against:
•embryos had life potential
•we are playing God, which is unethical
•money could be used to develop drugs to treat other diseases

Question 12

Arguments for and against IVF tests and embryo screening

Answer 12

For:
•stop diseases being passed on in future generations
•information for decisions (choose to have kids based on probabilities)
•family planning (kid grow up with the disease or be aborted)
•more money upfront but saves money in the future
•saves the kid having to live with an awful disease if they don’t abort it

Against: 
•abortions are unfair
•lost of money for tests 
•playing God 
•embryos had life potential

Question 13

What can adult stem cells be used in?

Answer 13

Treating some disorders such as leukaemia