Eng 122 In-Class Blog Prompt

My research topic was about the benefits of therapeutic cloning and how it should be regulated. The research paper was very informative but it was difficult to write. This presented a great difficulty because I had to take a look at my own morals. The biggest issue with therapeutic cloning is the definition of life. What makes a pre-embryo human? Can or should we consider a pre-embryo human? When I searched the online databases for the different viewpoints I stumbled across many good arguments on both sides. When I gathered the necessary information I decided to choose to support therapeutic cloning. The most challenging part of writing my research paper was choosing a side. One thing I learned from the research paper was the process in which therapeutic cloning was conducted. Therapeutic cloning is a very complex biomedical treatment. The procedures involved in therapeutic cloning include electro shocks to the blastocyst, a form of a pre-embryo. I also learned of the advancements in therapeutic cloning research. One of the new advancements is that stem cells are being used on experimental rats to treat diseases like arthritis. Stem cells play an important role in therapeutic cloning research because stem cells can be molded into any kind of cell. One example is that stem cells could be turned into nerve cells and potentially full organs. The prospects of this new scientific discovery are great, but where do we obtain stem cells? These stem cells are found in pre-embryo’s that scientist can clone. The real issue is if you think a blastocyst (pre-embryo) is considered a human or not. I chose to say no because a blastocyst doesn’t speak or think. A plant is a living thing and plants are manipulated every day. Life is life, but not everything is human.