Imagine that you go to your doctor's office for a routine check-up. A few weeks later, he calls you to his office to inform you that you have been diagnosed with a rare, usually fatal type of cancer. As he describes your options for treatment, he tells you that your best hope lies in a therapy that uses stem cells taken from human embryos. This scenario may seem far-fetched to you, but let's examine some facts about stem cell research that you probably didn't know.
             First, David Grubbs tells us that embryonic stem cells are found in the area of the embryo called the inner cell mass. During the first few days after conception, the fertilized cell divides repeatedly to form a small, hollow ball of cells called a blastocyst. This blastocyst is made up of an outer cell layer and a hollow center known as the inner cell mass. The outer cell layer goes on to form the placenta and other fetal membranes. The inner mass contains the stem cells which go on to form all of the specialized cells and tissues in the body - for example: nerves, brain, muscle, skin, bones, and internal organs.
             In addition, according to World and I Magazine, two research groups announced in November 1998 that they had taken stem cells from human embryos, cultivated those cells for several months, and had proven that the cells had the ability to develop into all three basic layers of cells in the human embryo. At present, embryonic stem cells used in research are obtained from two sources: In-Vitro Fertilization and fetal tissues remaining from aborted pregnancies. As stated in Stem Cells: A Primer, embryos received from in-vitro clinics were originally intended for use in reproduction, but exceeded the clinic's infertility treatment needs. In these cases, prior consent was obtained from the donors before use. In the case of terminated pregnancies, consent was obtained from the donors only after they had independently decided to end their preg...