Stem cells - boon or bane?!

Recently I came across an article from a very popular newspaper. It spoke about transplants. The reason I chose to put it on my blog is because it spoke on heart transplants!

Stem cell is defined as a totipotent cell, meaning it has the capacity to take up the function of any organ when injected into the same. For example, take any fluid, say water. When you pour into a container, volume occupied by it is same as the volume occupied by the fluid assuming the fluid is till the brim. In simpler words, shape taken up by water and shape of the container are same.

Stem cell has developed a lot of scope for survival. It has made a lot of transplants feasible. In fact the use of stem cells in a limb of a diabetic patient was fantabulous! The limb was regenerated from the patela(knee cap) to the foot with all digits(toes)! A lot of analysis is being made to use it in almost every part of the body to replace a lost or affected organ.

It has been recently found that stem cell technology has been used to transplant a heart!!! It has almost made rat heart transplant possible! With that on the verge of completion, the scientists aim for more. Their target is next the pig(the appetizer). A good lunch is complete only with the main course! Bull's eye, its US next!!!!!

The procedure involves injecting cells from a young heart(more healthy) into a heart from the dead. By placing this 'dead' heart in a suitable medium and maintaining it at appropriate conditions, the 'dead' heart gets life! Then you place this 'beating' heart inside the patient. Though it is a hypothesis still, the scientists expect this project to be complete in another 10 years. Where is all this heading to?! A healthier society? A long life?! Or simply fashion?!!

It started from GM(genetically modified) fruits. Then came the foods. Now available are the frozen foods at market. Advertisements say your life style is made simple in the day to day hubbub! Is that so?! Does it not affect our health at some stage of life?! Pros and cons are always a part of any discussion. Pros are elephantine in comparison to cons when you deal with nature straight! Are we not constantly getting contrary to nature? In fact it should be called a trend setter. It is really unfortunate when we still do not realize after the global warming and ozone layer hole, what playing with nature can result at!

How many people will be ready to accept this? Ask a man when only the last breath belongs to him, would say one more day. We are greedy, nothing wrong. We have desires for present, aspirations for future and regrets for pasts. May be that is why we are humans! This should not be considered an excuse.

Though such developments are meant for the people who are at critical risk, it should not be made an alternative. One should not even call it the last resort! Whether or not there is a super-power controlling us, every particular thing, be it living or non-living, has a longevity. One can redefine his fate but one should not rewrite it!

Let us wait and face the consequences ourselves, afterall we created it!