Bioethics in the Field of Medicine - Essay Example

Stem cells are actually obtained from human embryos and are so scientifically promising because they are essentially working cells which are unassigned specificity. When stem cells are exposed to specific chemical pathways, they become sympathetic to their respective chemical directions and therefore take on the tasks assigned to them in the process of differentiation. This has the astounding potential for the treatment of life-threatening pandemic diseases like cancer, HIV and AIDS and Alzheimer’s disease.

Additionally, stem cell research promises new hope for individuals who have sustained permanent injuries such as quadraparalysis and pareparalysis. The question remains, however, at what cost is science willing to accept in exchange for a new horizon in medical and scientific capabilities. In discussing the area of bioethics, it is important to first understand what and to whom the law, as well as medical ethics, pertains. One of the fundamental indecisions surrounding stem cell research is at what time is a human being actually legally viable as a living organism.

According to some, life begins at the first breath taken when a child is born thus alluding to the notion that a fetus in vitro is not yet a living organism prior to birth. Others argue that a fetus with a heartbeat different from its mothers is considered to be a viable life. Laws which are fundamental in most all countries dictate a basic human right as being protection from homicide which therefore makes the act of homicide illegal. The question then becomes, whether or not a first-trimester human fetus is protected by laws which are intended to protect living human beings.