Do our cells belong to us?

Question

For science I have to wright a persuasive essay and I can't seem to think of any ideas. heres the prompt:

Do the cells we lose on a daily basis and leave behind after we die belong to us? Who owns that tissue andwhat rights do providers of cell smples have over their own cells? Do people have the right to control the use of their cells even though it might delay or prevent a medical breakthrough? Some believe that we do not have ownership rights to our cells if they can be used in scientific and medical research. Others believe that our cells, whether they are attached to us of left behind, belong to us and entitle us to all ownership rights. Argue in a well developed essay whether or not our cells belong to us.

Any Ideas on either side will be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Favorite Answer

Personally, I feel that our cells do indeed belong to the individual from which they originated. Our cells are uniquely our own, because of molecular markers on each cell's membrane. For example, you cannot take a cell for one person and inject it into the body of another. The recipient's immune system will, in short order, detect the foreign antigen (molecular membrane markers) and produce antibodies to those markers; thus killing the foreign cell. Basically, our cells, under normal conditions, are no good to anyone but ourselves. As such, no person or organization should have the right to covertly collect those cells, culture them, are make use of them in any way without legal permission to do so. Case in point:

See: Henrietta Lacks' 'Immortal' Cells ... Science & Nature

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Henri...

See: The amazing HeLa cells of Henrietta Lacks

http://www.virology.ws/2009/02/09/the-amazing-hela...

See also: High court throws out human gene patents

http://news.yahoo.com/high-court-throws-human-gene...

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A whole lot of knowledge was gain from the research application of Henrietta's cells, and a lot of money exchanged hands as a result, yet her family and kin never saw a dime. It would not have harmed the scientific community to have given those poor people some financial benefit from the use of Henrietta Lack's cells.

I hope that the above will give you some ideas and direction in writing your essay.

Best regards

Source(s): self

Answer 2

This sounds like it could be a great essay

Good luck