Thesis Statement

Although stem cell research is an ongoing controversial topic, many professionals in the science and medical fields view it as a necessary method that has many benefits. There are so many uses for stem cells and even without the use of embryonic stem cells, the good outweighs the bad.

6 Professional Articles

Goidel, Kirby and Matthew Nisbet. "Exploring the Roots of Public Participation in the Controversy Over Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Cloning." Political Behavior 28.2 (2006): 175-192. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.


Han, Weidong, Yali Zhao, and Xiaobing Fu. "Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: The Dragon Awakens." Bioscience 60.4 (2004). JSTOR. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.


Huang, Hai-Jun. "Long-Term Culture of Keratinocyte-like Cells Derived from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells." In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology. Animal 44.7 (2008): 193-203. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.


Lowry, W. E. "Generation of Human Induced pluripotent Stem Cells From Dermal Fibroblasts." Natural Academy of Sciences 105 (2008). JSTOR. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.


McKay, R. D. "Stem cell biology and neurodegenerative disease." The Royal Society 23 April 2004: 851. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.


Meyer, John R. "Human embryonic stem cells and respect for life." Journal of Medical Ethics  26 (2000): 166-170. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

Professional Articles

1.  McKay, R. D. "Stem cell biology and neurodegenerative disease." The Royal Society 23 April 2004: 851. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.


      This article describes researchers trying to find the correct way to control stem cells to create or repair organs. These researchers also defined the stem cells in the Central Nervous System.






2.  Goidel, Kirby and Matthew Nisbet. "Exploring the Roots of Public Participation in the Controversy Over Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Cloning." Political Behavior 28.2 (2006): 175-192. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.


     This article explores the roots of public opinion on embryonic stem cell research and cloning. They found the media and church-based influence to be the highest influences on opinions. 






3.  Huang, Hai-Jun. "Long-Term Culture of Keratinocyte-like Cells Derived from Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells." In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology. Animal 44.7 (2008): 193-203. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.


     This article relates how scientists have found different uses for embryonic stem cells in mice. They also found a genetic lineage that controls these different uses.






4.  Meyer, John R. "Human embryonic stem cells and respect for life." Journal of Medical Ethics  26 (2000): 166-170. JSTOR. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.


     This article is an argument as to why embyronic stem cell research in the U.S. would be a good research tool. It describes all the medical uses and cures that could come from this research and tells of the discoveries made when it was still an allowed practice.

Analysis of popular audience needs

From my analysis of popular information on stem cell research on the web, I think people are most interested in hearing about new discoveries and advances being made with stem cell research. Of course not every little discovery being made is made known to the public but when the discovery of bone marrow transplants to treat cancer was made, people wanted to know about it. If a major discovery is made that can help many ailing people, the public wants to know about it. There are a lot of failed experiements and treatments in the science world and when people hear about them, they can become upset that they were led on and the money was wasted, etc. I believe people need to hear more about the little discoveries being made in stem cell research because those can eventually lead to bigger discoveries. Also, I think that there needs to be more coverage on the research being done with embryonic stem cells in countries like China because it's not really known what solutions they're looking for. People hear they're creating and destroying embryos and get upset but don't always hear about why they're doing it. I think the media tends to report only certain aspects of stories that will get people talking and can mislead people. I know there are science magazines and journals that publish new findings but not everyone has easy access to those stories. I wish news outlets such as CNN would post more scientific stories than they do.

Draft of Genre Analysis for commentary

The three popular websites I found about public opinions on stem cell research had many different views on the subject. One website was for diabetics and although a lot of people suffer from diabetes and embryonic stem cell research could help find a cure and more useful treatments, most people on that site said they were still against embryonic research. As always, there were some people for it because it could be "for a greater good" and help many people who are suffering. The website offered examples and data of how stem cell research could help better diabetes ailments. On another website I found, a few people mentioned it was a religious decision for them to be against embryonic stem cell research and others had no problem with stem cell research in general as long as humans weren't harmed. All three sites included data and facts from news reports as evidence but I don't think all the facts about stem cell research are made known to the public. The media tends to focus on topics that will arouse people and get them talking and that can lead to people being misguided about something. They might only hear one side of it.

The websites had a more casual tone than the professional articles did. The articles had a lot more information and background on their subjects. In one of the articles that was about stem cell research in China, it talked mostly about how China is one of the most liberal countries about using embryos for research. It went into more detail than the websites did and mentioned how other countries don't agree with them doing research on human embryos. The other website I found talked about how research to control stem cells in the body is being done. There are many different uses for stem cells and each use requires a different way to control and manipulate the cells.

Some of the popular misunderstandings about stem cell research have to do with how people hear about stem cell research and how only parts of research are reported to the public. A lot of people think stem cell research is unethical because of some of the research conducted and the uses for stem cells. People think it goes against nature and religion because of how you can alter the human body with stem cells. But not all the uses for stem cells is made known as well as how the research is being done. There are a lot of dead ends in the world of stem cell research and people see that as a waste of time and money. Although there are scientific journals that report many findings in stem cell research, that information isn't easily available to the public. News media outlets report certain "big" findings but, agian, don't tell the whole story.

How professionals view stem cell research

In the first article from JSTOR, "Stem Cell Research in China", most stem cell research there is done in bone marrow transplants and embryonic stem cells. Most countries don't allow for embryonic stem cell research but China is one of the few that do. It's government provides the funds needed for this research and even allows commercial buying and selling of embryos for research. China has the most liberal environment for stem cell research. Many clinical studies in China have shown success in stem cell use for acute heart and liver failure and more advances are being made all the time. 


In the second article from the Electronic Journal Center, "Directing human embryonic stem cell differentiation by non-viral delivery of siRNA in 3D culture", states that human embryonic stem cells have great potential as a resource for regenerative medicine. The article says that in order to achieve this, control of how the stem cells respond to different uses and where the cells are needed is done through using different genetic signals. Not all of the different ways to control stem cells have been discovered yet because there are so many different nucleic acids and genes to manipulate and stem cells react to different combinations. The article explains many ways to control stem cells and research is continuing in this field.






Works Cited 
Liao, Li, and Robert Chunhua Zhao. "Stem Cell Research in China." Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B 5 Mar. 2011: 1107-1112. JSTOR. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.  


Zoldan, Lytton-Jean, Karagiannis, Deiorio-Haggar, Bellan, Langer, and Daniel G. Anderson. "Directing human embryonic stem cell differentiation by non-viral delivery of siRNA in 3D culture." Biomaterials 2011: 7793-7800. Quick Search. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. 

"Person on the street" view of stem cell research

Many people are divided on the use of stem cells. There are two "different" ways to look at stem cell research: using adult stem cells and using embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cell use is no longer allowed or needed because many advances have been made creating stem cells in a lab and using stem cells from adults. People are on both sides of embryonic stem cell use but I think this arguement is the same as the abortion issue. Most people see using embryonic stem cells as killing a baby and are saying it's unethical, against their religion and so on (just like the abortion debate). Other people are saying if you kill a developing embryo, which at the time is "just a ball of cells", in order to find cures for diseases that are ailling many people, you're doing good in the long run. Not many people are against the use of adult stem cells or using stem cells for medical treatment. Bone marrow transplants are made possible by the use of stem cells and have saved many people's lives. A lot of people agree that if the same results can be obtained from adult stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells, or stem cells created in a test tube, there should be no use of embryos in stem cell research.


http://diabetes.about.com/b/2008/01/19/what-do-you-think-about-stem-cell-research.htm

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081113053556AAbFxdp

http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/content/68/1/131.full

Hot Topic Choice

Based on the voting and what I find interesting, I chose my hot topic to be stem cell research. It has been a controversial topic for many years and with science progressing rapidly, more and more use for stem cells is being discovered. Embryonic stem cells are no longer allowed to be created and destroyed, essentially, because by extracting the stem cells from an embryo, it in turn kills it. Scientists have figured out how to make these stem cells in a lab but they still aren't as useful as naturally made cells. Stem cells can fight and cure many diseases and illnesses and have made advances in treating cancer. Stem cells have many uses and as time goes on, the way they help humans will only expand.

Three hot topics in Biology

1. Stem cell research: Stem cell research has been a hot topic for years because some of the "best" stem cells can be derived from early embryos which in turn kill the developing embryo. Embryonic stem cells can be grown into organs, tissues, everything needed for the human body and are the only stem cells to have this unique function. Stem cells are still present in adult bodies but have only specific purposes. Embryonic stem cell use is no longer allowed but science has figured out how to artificially make and grow stem cells. The stem cells made in a lab aren't as useful and "strong" as embyronic cells but can still be used for many purposes. Stem cells can be used to help fix injuries such as a spinal cord injury or to regrow organs for a transplant. There are also some people who don't believe in stem cell research because they believe it goes against nature but I think stem cells can only help fix many health problems. The uses for stem cells was a great discovery and is continuing to help fight and cure many diseases and ailments.

2. Cloning: Cloning can be used to create organs used for transplants as well as create an animal identical in DNA to another animal. Cloning of animals is looked down upon by many people because it is expensive and it's hard to produce a viable clone. Many failed attempts occur before an offspring is created. Many of the cloned animals have a lot of health problems and are more prone to get diseases early on in life and have a shorter life span. Cloning can also be used to help research in gene therapy and squencing genomes. Cloning is a useful tool in science but many don't see it as an ethical practice.

3. Oncogenes: Oncogenes are the genes identified to potentially cause cancer. Oncogenes produce proteins that regrow more cells instead of allowing the cell to die. Tumors are formed this way because the cells don't know to stop growing and reproducing. Oncogenes are formed from a mutation. Many people believe that the increase in chemicals in everyday life has led to many of these mutations creating an increase of cancer. Plastics, fumes from cars, tobacco smoke and many other human made items and chemicals are the causes to blame for many mutations. Laws are starting to be made banning certain activities such as smoking in public and this will help to lower unwanted exposure to chemicals.

Format for your discipline

The preferred format for writing a paper in biology is divided into different sections: Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Works Cited.

The website I will use for reference is: http://abacus.bates.edu/~ganderso/biology/resources/writing/HTWsections.html

This website explains each section of the paper very well.

Discipline Manifesto- Biology

If you've ever been to a doctor to learn why you're sick, why it happened, and to get medicine, the doctor is able to help you thanks to biology. Biologists discover and make medicines to cure many illnesses as well as identify how and why those illnesses exist. Biology deals with a wide range of topics and for my profession, I am interested in the human field of biology. It's fascinating to me how the body works and how medicine can change so much inside the body. Biologists have to be very detail oriented and have a good memory. Biology has been around since the start of time but not until the 18th and 19th century did scientists really start to look into what has now become biology. It's amazing the discoveries that have been made over time, especially in the beginning when scientists had nothing compared to today's technology. Biology is such a detailed and important profession and it's a fast growing field.

Biologists, especially those that work in labs, need to have patience. If they're trying to create a new medication, they might have to go through many experiments to make what they think is the right medicine. Then it has to go through many tests and trials before it can finally be approved as an effective medication. While scientists are doing their experiments, some steps may require days or even weeks of wait time for something to mix together correctly or to be ready to go on to the next step. Many tests can take a long time to be completed and if you're anxious to hear if your new medicine was effective, the wait can seem even longer.

Biologists have to be very accurate and detailed in their work. Some experiments require very precise measurements and accuracy in a lab is extremely important. In order for something to be effective and even safe to take, it's very important to follow rules and the steps required in an experiment and in the lab. Anything that gets cross contaminated could ruin the entire experiment and  it's important to make sure everything is done meticulously to produce accurate results.

Biologists need to have a passion to learn and a good memory to remember so many concepts and ideas. Science is constantly evolving and they have to be able to adapt to remembering new information quickly and perhaps even replace many years of thinking of something a certain way. Science is based on theories and new discoveries are made all the time. Biologists need to constantly be informed of new science and remember so much information in their job.

Biology and a job in medical science is extremely important to everyone. When a new disease comes out, biologists need to work with the current knowledge they have about medicine and try to find medicine very quickly that will cure the disease or prevent it from spreading more. Diseases are also constantly changing and some can become immune to medicine so the need for medical biologists will always exist. I believe there will one day be a cure for every ailment and illness known to man kind but there is so much involved in making medicine and finding cures that that's why we don't currently have a cure for cancer. The body is very complicated but such an amazing thing to study. I would love to be involved in creating medicine and finding solutions to the many health problems humans face.

Defining Discipline: Biology

  Being a very analytical person, a biology major allows me to have a lot of diverse options in what I want to do with my major and allows me to work on many details in a job. I really like a description from Alverno College: "As a biologist, you will probe the structure and interactions of a multitude of living things" (Biology Major). I really think that sums up biology in a great way. In humans, you can get into genetics, how cancer starts and stops, how to regrow organs and so many other interesting topics. In animals, you can look into how a change in their environment affects their population or even how to save an endangered species. You can even get into an environment job such as a meteorologist with a biology degree. Or you can use your degree and research to become a teacher or go into forensics. There is definitely a lot of research and lab work associated with most biology careers but that's just the beginning of how new concepts and things are discovered. 

      Reading the four sites I researched has given me more detail into my major and shown me some specific careers I may be interested in persuing. I know I still want to work in a medicinal field or something to do with the human body but I still have time to decide which career path to actually take. With a biology degree, there will always be something new and different to learn about as the medical community is always changing and new discoveries are made. I would love to be a part of this change.

                           Works Cited

Advice for the Biology Major. TheLabRat.com, 2005. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.

Biology Major. Alverno College. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.

Biology Major. My Majors, 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.

Guide to College Majors in Biology. World Wide Learn. Web. 24 Sept. 2011.