Abstract This paper explains that the principal ethical issue underlying objections to the medical use of stem cells has its roots in the Christian religious belief that human life begins at conception. Scientists absolutely reject this belief and consider all biological life, including human life, to be fundamentally the same, different only in degrees rather than in kind. The author states that the argument against stem cell research is based on the specious "slippery slope" argument, according to which producing embryos for medical research would necessarily lead to human cloning. he paper concludes that there is no basis in objective ethical principles to prohibit the medical profession from pursuing all avenues likely to improve human life by eliminating as many debilitating diseases as possible.
From the Paper "Human stem cells exist in four varieties, with different relative therapeutic medical potential. Stem cells derived from early human embryos have the greatest medical potential and likely hold the key to curing victims of traumatic spinal paralysis and organ tissue regeneration instead of reliance on donor tissue transplantation. Embryonic stem cell tissues are referred to as totipotent, because they seem to posses the unique potential to grow into virtually any human tissue or even complete human organs."
Abstract This paper explains the pros and cons of human cloning and provides enough information on both sides of the argument for the reader to make his or her own informed decision on whether human cloning is ethical or not. This paper presents several areas, including the definition of cloning, an explanation of why questions concerning the cloning of humans have arisen, and a discussion of the facts and opinions that support cloning.
From the Paper "A young couple were married for only three years when the husband was in a terrible car accident. He was unconscious at the scene of the accident and went into a coma shortly after arriving at the emergency room. Although he eventually awoke from the coma, he never returned to his previous level of consciousness. He had suffered severe head trauma and would live out the rest of his days as a vegetable. The wife was very distraught because they had both wanted to have children and now they would be unable to do so. Over the past several years, she had heard a lot amount cloning but wasn't sure it could be done in her case. She believed it was the only way that she and her husband could have children together. Introduction The ethics of human cloning has become a great issue in the past few years. The advocates for both sides of the issue have many reasons to clone or not to clone."
Abstract The paper begins by purifying beef heart and ends with a highly-quantitative analysis of the results of attempting to isolate the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase. It contains every aspect of a detailed biochemistry lab report. The paper contains complex quantitative analysis with supporting statistics. It also has scanned photographs of the gel electrophoresis.
From the Paper "Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a crucial enzyme that regulates lactate levels throughout the mammalian body. Proper LDH function is essential for a number of important biochemical pathways, including the Cori Cycle and glycolysis among others. Without it, the glycolytic cycle would come to a halt due to diminished nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) reserves, and the buildup of lactate would ultimately result in lactic acidosis-a potentially fatal affliction."
From the Paper For some people burial in the ground is repugnant. They do not want to "rot in the grave", they want to live longer and enjoy life. Cryonics could be the answer for these people. Cryonics is the technology of freezing a person to the temperature of liquid nitrogen, -320 degrees F, in a cryogenic capsule to be resurrected in the future. Even though cryonics has not yet been perfected, it will be.
From the Paper "The birth of the world's most famous sheep, the genetically cloned Dolly, sparked turbulent ethical, scientific, and religious debate, taking Genetic Engineering from the laboratories and thrusting it onto the front pages of the world. The living proof of what was once considered no more than science fiction prompted an entirely new range of dangers and possibilities. Jeremy Rifkin's The Biotech Century warns of the dangers of genetic engineering and takes a rather alarmist stance in revealing the outcomes of current and future genetic research."
Abstract This paper examines the harmful effects of cell phones. Backing statements up with facts, the author tries to prove that these ubiquitous little devices are, indeed, quite dangerous.
From the Paper "Cell phones, are suddenly being thought of as the cause for many health effects. Many cell phone industries, research teams, and government laboratories are conducting experiments to see whether or not cell phones are hazardous to human health. Cell phones are extensively popular and a much needed item. Almost every working individual uses a cell phone."
Abstract An analysis of the writings of psychologist John C. Searle and his philosophy of the mind. Includes a deep probing into the mind-body debate and an analysis of Searle's concepts and ideas.
From the Paper "Searle's answer to the mind-body problem is a radical adjustment in how we view mental and physical phenomena in regards to the philosophy of the mind. In fact, his solution demands a complete shift in the language we use to approach the mind-body problem. Searle asserts that we must no longer partition phenomena into either the mental and the physical. What we observe as mental phenomena are actually higher-level views of physical events taking place in the brain and perhaps the central nervous system. The workings of the brain do not exist in two separate domains that are related by rules, programs, or processing of information. To even consider one big all-inclusive domain would be wrong. Searle's whole point is to discard the language we have used to describe the workings of the brain. Our language reflects our approach towards the problem, and by using the terms "mental" and "physical" we unnecessarily compartmentalize the observations we make about the mind. A philosophy of the mind does not need to incorporate a mysterious mental component that is seemingly detached from the physical."
Abstract On August 9, 2001 President George W. Bush made a decision to allow limited research on existing stem cells. He made this decision to cater to the wants and needs of as many different people as he could. This paper looks at the moral divide in America, and how difficult it can be for a leader to please the general public.
From the Paper "Stem cells are cells that come from human embryos, which is why this whole issue has become a moral dilemma. The human embryos are often times "spare" ones from fertility clinics. These embryos would be discarded because the would-be mother no longer needs them (Stem Cell 06). The idea of human embryos being used for any sort of medical research, even for a good cause, angers many people ? especially pro-life ones. But this will be discussed later."
Tags: biology, ethical, ethics, moral, science, george
Abstract This paper takes a look at the two men who worked together, merging data from chemistry, physics, and biology to produce the DNA model the double helix, which earned them the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology.
From the Paper "The Cambridge setting is where Watson first met Francis Crick, a man that was as influential to the discovery of the double helix structure as Watson himself. Watson and Crick soon began having daily lunches to discuss the many aspects of DNA. One point of view that brought them together was their mutual stress on DNA over proteins, which many scientists thought proteins to be more important. Watson and Crick shared an attraction to DNA, and when they wound up in the same University of Cambridge lab, they bonded. To summarize the events after their collaboration, "They used several models and a trial and error method to make their historical discovery" (Portugal 264). Watson drifted from pure science into administration. As director of the molecular-biology lab at Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., he turned it into a scientific powerhouse. He also served as "head of the Human Genome Project, absorbing some fallout from the high-energy ethical debates whose fuse he and Crick had lighted nearly four decades earlier" (Watson 1). "
Abstract Soil is an incredibly important resource and maintaining the fertility of our soils is a pressing issue at the forefront of environmental science as we try to feed an expanding global population. Queensland, Australia is one area of the world where soil is being depleted and degraded at an alarming rate. Through an examination of this specific resource management problem, this essay analyzes the concept of impact assessment to develop fair, efficient and effective solutions to this environmental problem.
From the Paper ?The preservation and conservation of the worlds soil is a serious resource management problem. The sustainable use of our soil will be a major challenge for the human species for many years to come. When assessing the impact of any resource management problem and developing feasible solutions to that problem certain factors must be taken into consideration. Examining the fairness, efficiency and effectiveness of a proposed solution is paramount to its potential success. A solution for soil loss that is completely unfair to farmers or ranchers will be rigorously opposed and impossible to implement.?
Abstract This paper is based on the public role in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The author uses statistics and examples to present the case of FAS. The paper examines what causes it, how it manifests itself, and preventions that can be used and future research needs to combat the problem.
From the Paper "In recent years the public has been made aware of a syndrome called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The syndrome has received publicity for many reasons including the fact that it is a completely preventable syndrome based on the pregnant mother's behaviors. The syndrome causes disabilities for the children and in recent court hearings mothers have been facing charges for causing the syndrome in their children. It is a life long syndrome that cannot be reversed once it is achieved. The public has a responsibility in trying to prevent the syndrome from occurring. The public pays the price each time it happens in the way of funding special education needs, funding welfare checks and funding the cost of foster care. It is in the public's best interest to use education and legal means to stop the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome."
Abstract This paper covers the history of the modern animal rights movement and examines and evaluates the current federal legislation regarding all aspects of animal testing and treatment of laboratory animals. Individual animal tests and alternatives to using laboratory animals are discussed from different viewpoints. Reasons for either supporting or condemning many different types of animal tests in the areas of medicine, cosmetics and scientific research are looked at.
From the Paper This paper covers the history of the modern animal rights movement and examines and evaluates the current federal legislation regarding all aspects of animal testing and treatment of laboratory animals. Individual animal tests and alternatives to using laboratory animals are discussed from different viewpoints. Reasons for either supporting or condemning many different types of animal tests in the areas of medicine, cosmetics and scientific research are looked at.
Abstract This paper examines how certain genes, specifically BRCA1 and BRCA2 can be used in diagnosing and treating breast cancer. It outlines the possible causes of breast cancer, its symptoms, and treatment. It also discusses the issue of genetic screening, as an ethical issue and how it can help to treat breast cancer.
From the paper:
"Breast cancer is a disease characterized by the growth of malignant cells in the mammary glands and can actually can strike both men and women, although women are about 100 times more likely to develop the disease than men. Most cancers in female breasts form shortly before, during, or after menopause, with three-quarters of all cases being diagnosed after age 50. Generally, the older a woman is, the greater is her likelihood of developing breast cancer. Worldwide, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and in North America and Western Europe, where life spans are longer, the incidence is highest."
The following paper examines one of the most continually compelling arguments about human nature, whether biology really is destiny or whether it is culture that is destiny.
Abstract This paper explores some of the aspects of this nature versus nurture controversy, with reference to Francisco Ayala's Population and Evolutionary Genetics: A Primer. The author argues as Ayala suggests in his discussion on the complex interplay between genotype and phenotype as evidenced in twin studies, that environment, and in particular the aspect of environment usually referred to as culture, are more important in determining human behavior and personality than are genetics. This paper acknowledges the ways in which genetics affects human behavior while still arguing that environment and culture are far more important than genetics in determining behavior.
From the Paper ?Behavior is one of the most complex and interesting of human characteristics and like many other characteristics, such as height or weight, behavior has come to be understood to reflect a combination of influences, some genetic, others environmental. While it had for many years been assumed that behavior was essentially all learned, in recent years advances in a number of techniques have allowed researchers new and provocative glimpses into the genetic basis of human behavior.?
Abstract This paper looks at the numerous theories that have been presented over time regarding the reason for dinosaur extinction. The author discusses explanations such as a sudden catastrophic event, like a meteor hitting the earth or a volcanic eruption, and also slow, environmental causes like global warming or shifting plate tectonics.
From the Paper "First, around the time of the mass extinction of the dinosaurs there was a global climate change. During this time, the environment changed from the warm and mild one present in the Mesozoic era to the cooler one of the Cenozoic. Second, evidence exists to support a massive terrestrial disturbance at the end of the Cretaceous period that included soot in the air, acid rain, the emission of poisonous gases, and a cooling similar to that of a nuclear winter. This terrestrial disturbance caused periods of darkness on the earth as well as a global greenhouse effect. Third, the dinosaurs were only one species that became extinct during this time. According to scientific evidence, approximately 60 percent of all species below the line of the K-T boundary did not exist above that line."
