FOR: An early embryo that has not yet implanted into the uterus does not have the

psychological, emotional or physical properties that we associate with being a person. It therefore does not have any interests to be protected and we can use it for the benefit of patients (who ARE persons). FOR: The embryo cannot develop into a child without being transferred to a womans uterus. It needs external help to develop. Even then, the probability that embryos used for in vitrofertilization will develop into full-term successful births is low. Something that could potentially become a person should not be treated as if it actually were a person. FOR: before day 14 the embryo has not developed a central nervous system Against: before day 14 the embryo can develop into twins Against: Who are we to decide who whether an embryo worthy of living or not. The vast religious community would suggest playing god antics

Scientists have found a cheap and easy way to produce highly sought-after embryonic-like stem cells without terminating any embryos. The ground-breaking discovery could usher in a new era in stem cell biology. Although it was carried on mice they feel it should work on humans So far, there have been two ways of producing those pluripotent stem cells-harvesting cells from embryos in the first days after fertilization or inducing the changes by introducing new genes into a cell, the so-called "iPS" technology. pro-life campaigners have argued that destroying an embryo means destroying a potential life. Researchers have called the phenomenon STAP cells, stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency.

To trigger the transformation researchers take adult cells and simply let them multiply. In the next stage, they subject cells to external stress, "almost to the point of death , by exposing them to various hostile environments, for instance, acid or low oxygen. To researchers surprise, within a period of only a few days the STAP cells survived and recovered from the stressful stimulus by naturally reverting into a state that is equivalent to an embryonic stem cell. Those cells were then able re-differentiate and mature into any type of cell and grow into any type of tissue - skin, bone, organs - depending on the environment into which they were placed, like embryonic stem cells.

Arguments against this view: Development from a fertilized egg into to baby is a continuous process and any attempt to pinpoint when personhood begins is arbitrary. A human embryo is a human being in the embryonic stage, just as an infant is a human being in the infant stage. Although an embryo does not currently have the characteristics of a person, it will become a person and should be given the respect and dignity of a person.

UK law Research using stem cells is strictly controlled to maximise the benefit gained from the research whilst minimising the areas of it that some people find ethically wrong. In the UK, any scientific establishment using human embryos to create stem cells must hold a licence from the HFEA; any establishment storing and using human tissue must hold a licence from the HTA; any establishment testing the effects of stem cells in animals must hold a licence from the Home Office; and any establishment altering the genetic material of a stem cell must inform the Health and Safety Executive of what they are doing. All these government bodies ensure that research using stem cells is carried out safely and within the law. In the UK, embryonic stem cells are mostly harvested from embryos donated by couples undergoing fertility treatment. These embryos would otherwise be destroyed without being used so some believe using them in work that could prevent or alleviate illness before their destruction is appropriate.

EU and US Other countries in Europe have similar, or stricter, rules relating to stem cell research than the UK: in some, such as Germany and Austria, the law severely restricts research using embryonic stem cells. The European Court of Human Justice has ruled that patents cannot be granted to the inventor of an embryonic stem cell product. A patent is a set of exclusive rights in the market granted to the owner of an invention, meaning the person who holds the patent can set a price for the product. This generally guarantees a profit so if a person has invested money in researching an embryonic stem cell invention, they know they will make a good return. The European Parliament passed a law saying that patents cannot be granted for immoral inventions such as those using embryos for industrial or commercial processes. Although this means that the price of stem cell therapies cannot be artificially increased which could put them out of the financial reach of some patients in the EU, it also means that investment in European stem cell research may decrease. In contrast to the UK, where public money supports stem cell research, many US states have banned public funding of embryonic stem cell research. As it is legal to patent an invention involving embryonic stem cell research in the US, however, cautious private investors are possibly more likely to pay.