There Is Much Controversy in the News-Both Scientific and Popular-About

Multiple Choice

There is much controversy in the news-both scientific and popular-about the use of embryonic stem cells for research. These cells are grown as cell lines in culture, created by taking the inner cell mass from 5-day-old embryos. What is the center of the controversy?

A) the fact that the embryos are mostly those unused by in vitro clinics
B) the knowledge that these cell lines have reverted spinal cord injuries in mice
C) the unproven usefulness of stem cells to treat human disorders
D) the realization that these cells are pluripotent rather than totipotent
E) the difference of opinion about whether these embryos are persons