A mother can no longer remember her children's names due to Alzheimer's disease. A daughter will never be able to walk again due to a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. A husband will never be able to see his wife again because he has become blind. But perhaps these people will be able to remember, walk or see again. One day all the world's diseases may be curable through stem cell research. Stem cells are truly unique because they have the ability to transform into any of the more than 200 cells that make up the human body. For the past 50 years, scientists have tried to understand the true potential of stem cells. Nichols (2001) explained that it was not until 1998 that scientist James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin isolated living stem cells from embryos using in vitro fertilization (p.44). This was a major breakthrough in stem cell research. Scientists are now able to use embryonic stem cells to treat or cure diseases, but they are far from perfecting them for use in humans. The process of generating stem cells occurs by fertilizing an egg through in vitro fertilization. If the embryo is healthy it is divided and multiplied several times. Then the embryo is destroyed and the stem cells are used. Ethical issues surrounding stem cell research have a major impact on the continuation of medical research. As humans we need to rethink ethical issues and focus more on the potential benefits of stem cell research. Embryonic stem cells are much more unique than multipotent stem cells, less controversial and more common. Multipotent stem cells such as umbilical cord blood and bone marrow stem cells are limited in generating only a number of tissues. Embryonic stem cells are classy… middle of paper… and it may take many years to fully understand them before they can be used in humans. Unraveling the mystery of stem cells could allow us to understand the human body in a completely different way. Works Cited Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2010, September 13). Stem Cell Basics: What are Embryonic Stem Cells?. In Stem Cell Information [World Wide Web site]. Retrieved from http://www.stemcells.nih.gov/Fitzpatrick, Megan. (2010, November 2). Canada's mantle as a stem cell leader is fading, experts warn. Postmedia news. Retrieved from http://www.canada.com/Hochedlinger, Konrad. (2010, May). Your inner healers. Scientific America. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerica.com/Nichols, Mark. (2001, August 27). Stem cells: a moral dilemma. Maclean. Retrieved from http://www2.macleans.ca/