BRAINCAKEEthical Questions
Stem cell research, especially using embryos, raises ethical questions on which people hold strongly different views.
The status of the embryo
The main objection is that collecting embryonic stem cells destroys the embryo. Some people believe life, and full moral rights, begin at fertilisation, so destroying an embryo is equivalent to killing a person. Others believe an early embryo is a ball of cells that gains moral status gradually as it develops.
Sources of embryos
Many embryos used are spare embryos left over from IVF treatment that would otherwise be discarded, which some people find more acceptable than creating embryos specifically for research.
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Key terms in this lesson
- hfea
- The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which licenses and regulates embryo research in the UK.
- therapeutic cloning
- Creating a cloned embryo, genetically matched to a patient, so its stem cells can be harvested rather than to produce a baby.
- utilitarian
- An ethical approach that judges an action right if it produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
More in Gene Expression
- Diseases that Could Be Treated
- Type I Diabetes
- Damaged Nerves
- Organs for Transplants
- Stem Cell Success
- Using Embryonic Stem Cells
- Advantages of Therapeutic Cloning
- Advantages of iPS Cells
All 39 lessons in Gene Expression · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics