The Field Of Bioartificial Organs - 1565 Words

Modern science has achieved vast successes in multiple fields over the last few years. In this respect, experimentation in the field of bioartificial organs is particularly extraordinary, because it has the potential to kick off a new age in the medical field and science as a whole. However, the research and use of bioartificial organs, specifically the stem cells involved, often stir up controversy. Although the possibilities stem cells bring about are very profitable to the medical field and bioartificial organs, the ethics involved in harvesting the embryos cause debate. What exactly are these ‘stem cells’ at the center of all this controversy? Dr. Peter J. Bryant, research professor at University of California Irvine, described stem†¦show more content†¦After the cells are taken out of the egg, destroying the fertilized egg in the process, they are placed in a culture disk that contains a culture medium, or a liquid rich with nutrients. The cells divide and spread in the plastic dish, and if left alone in the original dish, the cells can keep multiplying exponentially with no limits. Once the embryonic stem cells are grown, they’re induced to differentiate and become specialized cells in separate dishes. These embryonic stem cells are able to become many specialized cells be- cause they’re pluripotent. A pluripotent cell is able to become any type of cell in the human body. In the documentary National Geographic: The Incredible Human Body, John Gearhart, a stem cell specialist explains how they induced embryonic stem cells to become heart muscle cells. Under the microscope, it was obvious that the stem cells had turned into heart muscle cells, because the cells themselves were pulsing like a heart beat. These cells would be able to be injected into the heart tissue to repair and replace damaged heart tissue. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to be very useful in the medical field. Adult Stem Cells have potential to improve the medical field as well, but they’re more specific than embryonic cells. Unlike Embryonic Stem Cells, Adult Stem Cells are multipotent, or undifferentiated. This means that they rarely have the ability to become more than one type of