What are some of the ethical issues related to embryonic stem cells and human embryo research?
The principle objection to the use of embryonic stem cells is that a human embryo must be destroyed. Despite the possibility that stem cells isolated from embryos could offer enormous potential for improving the quality of life for people suffering from incurable diseases, opponents of human embryo research claim no benefit can justify the destruction of an embryo. While most people would agree that embryos are potential human beings, and therefore entitled to be treated with respect, many also believe that human embryos are not entitled to the full rights normally bestowed upon an actual person. One example of this difference is evident in law in Australia and other countries where abortion is legal. While it is true that all embryos have the potential to develop into a new person, reproductive biology is very inefficient and not every embryo that is created will develop into an actual person. To date most human embryonic stem cell lines have been generated from donated IVF embryos. I
