9:31 AM Wed Apr 12к7Step 1: Read ScenarioIn 1991, when he was just thirty years old, actor Michael J. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. WhileParkinson's normally afflicts adults over the age of sixty (roughly the disease strikes about 1% of that age group),as Michael J. Fox's case indicates, younger people can develop Parkinson's as well. We do not yet fully understandParkinson's disease, but we do know that with Parkinson's, the patient's brain cells (or neurons) die off. Theneurons affected by Parkinson's control motor function and mood. Persons with advanced Parkinson's havetrouble moving and speaking, and their hands and legs may tremble, twitch, or freeze up. They may alsoexperience mood swings and depression. In the very late stages of the disease, they can also lose mental function.Assignment DetailsPhilosophy and Ethics ACurrently, no cure exists for Parkinson's disease. Scientists hope, however, that at some point in the future,embryonic stem cells might be used to treat Parkinson's disease. What are stem cells, and how might stem celltherapies help?A stem cell is a very special kind of cell. Stem cells start out as general purpose cells, which can then "specialize"themselves to carry out the role of other kinds of cells, such as blood cells, muscle cells, or even brain cells. Thefunction of a stem cell, therefore, is to serve as a kind of "spare part" in the repair system of the human body. Thishas suggested to researchers the idea that stem cells could be transplanted from one body to another fortherapeutic use.Stem cell transplants are already done today. The best known example is a bone marrow transplant for leukemiapatients - bone marrow contains blood stem cells that can take over the role of the diseased blood cells in aperson with leukemia. This type of stem cell transplant uses what are called "adult stem cells." Adult stem cellshave already specialized to perform a particular function (e.g., the function of a blood cell), and recent researchindicates great promise in their use. Stem cells can be collected from another adult, an infant, or a fetus.Researchers have also focused on experimenting with embryonic stem cells, however. As the name suggests,embryonic stem cells are extracted from a one-week-old human blastocyst (which at this point consists of fifty toone hundred cells). The advantage of embryonic stem cells is that they are not yet specialized - they have not yetadapted to any particular function. So in principle, an embryonic stem cell could be genetically manipulated toturn into whatever type of stem cell is needed for therapy, whereas adult stem cells cannot. The process of makingthis happen, however, is still in its infancy.◄ PreviousThe embryonic stem cells used in experiments today are obtained from embryos donated by couples that haveundergone in vitro fertilization (IVF), a technique used to help infertile couples have children. IVF involves thecreation of fertilized eggs outside of the womb, a process that often results in more fertilized eggs than aretransplanted into the uterus (the extra fertilized eggs are created on purpose, because not all the eggs resultingfrom this process turn out to be viable). In the process of obtaining stem cells, the embryo is destroyed. (Normally,most of the unused embryos resulting from IVF are discarded, although sometimes they are frozen for possiblefuture use).Dashboard000 Calendar00088%Submit Assignment2900=To DoNotificationsNext ►Inbox 9:31 AM Wed Apr 12K7Step 2: Answer Questions1. What do you think about the comparison between embryonic stem cell research and research on adulthuman beings or children? Is the comparison a fair one? What do you think is the moral status of a humanembryo - and why?Assignment DetailsPhilosophy and Ethics A2. Some argue that if the research on embryonic stem cells can help treat Parkinson's, then the end (helpingParkinson's patients) justifies the means (which involves killing embryos). This argument clearly takes autilitarian perspective. What weighs on the other side, however, are the various concerns having to do withthe fundamental value of human life. What are your views?3. Until the 2009 Stem Cell Executive Order, U.S. law forbade research on any stem cell lines created after2001 (that is the year in which that law was established). Compare the overall utility resulting from the newlaw with the overall utility that could be expected from the previous law.4. Is it just to destroy a human embryo for the sake of saving the lives of others? Discuss this question in termsof the justice objection.5. What do you think of the concern that allowing embryonic stem cell research might devalue our attitudestoward human life?6. Recent medical advances indicate that induced pluripotent stem cells - adult stem cells that have beenreprogrammed to an embryonic stem-cell- like state – may be able to take on the role that embryonic stemcells have. From a rule utilitarian standpoint, would it be better to experiment with those cells instead? Fromyour point of view, does it make a difference whether adult or embryonic stem cells are used?◄ Previous7. Image you are finishing up your college degree in a medial field (e.g., medical technology), and you arepresented with the opportunity to take an internship in one of the labs dedicated to embryonic stem cellresearch. Would it be ethically justifiable for you to take the job?Step 3: Save and SubmitSave your file using the file name: Lastname_W5_Assignment.Dashboard88%000 Calendar000Submit Assignment2900=To DoNotificationsNext ►Inbox

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the unique ability to develop into specialized cell…

1. What do you think about the comparison between embryonic stem cell research and research on adult human beings or children? Is the comparison a fair one? What do you think is the moral status of a human embryo - and why? 2. Some argue that if the research on embryonic stem cells can help treat Parkinson's, then the end (helping Parkinson's patients) justifies the means (which involves killing embryos). This argument clearly takes a utilitarian perspective. What weighs on the other side, however, are the various concerns having to do with the fundamental value of human life. What are your views? 3. Until the 2009 Stem Cell Executive Order, U.S. law forbade research on any stem cell lines created after 2001 (that is the year in which that law was established). Compare the overall utility resulting from the new law with the overall utility that could be expected from the previous law. 4. Is it just to destroy a human embryo for the sake of saving the lives of others? Discuss this question in terms of the justice objection. 5. What do you think of the concern that allowing embryonic stem cell research might devalue our attitudes toward human life? 6. Recent medical advances indicate that induced pluripotent stem cells - adult stem cells that have been reprogrammed to an embryonic stem-cell-like state - may be able to take on the role that embryonic stem cells have. From a rule utilitarian standpoint, would it be better to experiment with those cells instead? From your point of view, does it make a difference whether adult or embryonic stem cells are used? 7. Image you are finishing up your college degree in a medial field (e.g., medical technology), and you are presented with the opportunity to take an internship in one of the labs dedicated to embryonic stem cell research. Would it be ethically justifiable for you to take the job?