research on embryos

 An embryo is an organism in its first 6 to 7 weeks (after that it becomes a fetus). Investigation on embryos consists in using some of the stem cells - the body's master cells - on certain experiments (or taking out a cell of the stem cell). I think that research on embryos is a very good idea. It can help women that can’t have babies. It also works as a system to find new diseases and at the same time we can relate it to cloning.

Artificial insemination is a great help for women that have trouble having babies. In cases in which the man is unfertile, it is a very good option. Artificial insemination is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female. In humans, it is used as assisted reproductive technology, primarily to treat infertility using sperm from the woman's partner, or sperm from a sperm donor (donor sperm) where the male partner produces no sperm.  It is also increasingly used to enable women without a male partner (i.e., single women and lesbians) to have children. If a couple didn’t have a chance of parenthood while they were young and now they are too old to have a baby naturally, there is also a chance of a surrogate mother, this means that a woman who is not the wife is artificially inseminated with the man sperm and this surrogate mother carries the baby until he/she is born.

Cures may be found for previously untreatable diseases and disorders. New and improved treatments may provide insights into diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, Parkinson’s and spinal muscular atrophy by producing stem cells containing genetic defects that contribute to these conditions. These will be used as cell models for investigating new approaches to treatment, and to improve the understanding of how embryonic stem cells develop. The cells will not be used in therapy, and it is illegal to implant them into the womb. The decision taken by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has granted one-year licenses to the scientists that first applied for permission in the autumn of 2006. Now they have created the hybrid-embryos which are made from animal eggs and they remove the genetic material and replace it with human DNA. The eggs turned into embryos from which stem cells can be harvested so that they use this instead of human eggs.

Cloning is a very important matter because it has different ends. First it can help to the multiplication of the nervous cells or neurons and these can be used with people that are unable to walk because of a broken spine. With the multiplication of neurons, doctors could fix broken spines and people could walk again. Another matter will be having children with characteristics of one of the parents in case that the other one had a disease like diabetes or epilepsy. We also have the therapeutic cloning; this is one of the most effective ways to generate tissue and organs from the genetic material. The person shouldn’t have any complications because of the immunologic incompatibility. The tissue or the organ that is going to be implanted is built from his or her own cells.

Now we know why research on embryos is so useful and at times vital. It is the solution for a family that wants to grow in number with the artificial insemination. This it is also a big help for people in general in case of a disease like Alzheimer or Diabetes. These are diseases that everybody can have in the future and with this research we can have a cure. Cloning can also help people with different types of diseases like the broken spine, mentioned before, or the therapeutic cloning which is the most effective way to generate tissue or an organ. 

The Different Places I have lived in

I’m 21 years old now and I have only lived in two places. Most of my life I lived in Viña del Mar but when it was time to go to college I moved to San Felipe.  Viña del Mar and San Felipe are two completely different places in terms of weather, people, and the environment in general. 

Viña is a city where the weather is generally mild whereas in San Felipe it tends to be extreme, meaning that in summer the weather is really hot and dry and during the winter is really cold and at times even snowy. In Viña del Mar the summers are not that hot or dry and the winters are cold but not as severe as in San Felipe and they are really wet, unlike in San Felipe. Though I lived two years in San Felipe, I could never get used to the harshness of its weather.

People are different wherever you go. Some are nice, affectionate, and kind while others are moody, cold, and angry. Living in these two cities I realized how different people can be. Generally speaking I could say that people in Viña are egocentric, individualist, and a bit shallow. On the other hand, people in San Felipe are welcoming, kind, and warm, though there must also be some really nice people in Viña and really disagreeable ones in San Felipe. I think that people from either city are equally bad drivers since they both run red lights and show no respect for pedestrians.

In general the environment is very good in both cities. Viña and San Felipe are both very green cities; they have trees everywhere and they both have water near the streets. In Viña we have a beautiful beach and in San Felipe there are the water canals which make the city look fresh and clean. Something that is really different is the commerce. In Viña there are thousands of stores and you can find everything that you need and the stores are regularly open from 9am to 9pm, whereas in San Felipe there are fewer stores and they are open only from 11am to 2pm and then from 6pm to 8 or 9pm.

If I had to choose a place to live, it would be really difficult because both cities have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, I love the weather in Viña but I don’t like the individualism of the people, and I love the people in San Felipe but cannot stand the weather. If we could mix together the best parts of both cities, we would have a perfect city, with the ideal weather, nice people, beautiful sites, and everyone would be happy and relaxed.

ABOUT: ME, MY FRIENDS AND MY TWO UNIVERSITIES

I’m Natalia Zapata and I study English at Universidad de Playa Ancha, the first 2 years I studied at Upla Campus San Felipe, but I had to transfer because of money problems. In San Felipe I met such amazing people who became my best friends. I met Mayte and her husband Ricardo and she introduced me to all her family, they are all really kind to me, I’m also friends with Vanesa with one “S” (as she said) who at the beginning I  thought it was a bit weird with all of her germens phobia but then I started to like her and it was somewhat funny, Magda was the first person to talk to me and we also became friends, Carlita she is the nicest person you could ever meet, she would always try to make you  feel that you are better than the rest and she is always smiling and laughing. I almost forgot Yanara, but she was transferred to Upla Valparaiso too, so I don’t miss her.

People from Valparaíso and San Felipe are really different, an example would be that when someone new arrives to classes in San Felipe the students are really welcoming, they would start asking questions like your name and stuff like that. People at Valparaíso are not interested in getting to know; it would take them time to notice you are there. Eventually they would speak to you but it will take them some time.

Another difference between San Felipe and Valparaíso is the amount of people. In San Felipe everything is small, if you have to go and do some errands you can just do it during the break, but in Valparaíso you would just have to wait to all of your classes finish and go to what seems to be another university. And then you would have to queue for hours. But as in San Felipe there are not a lot of people so you may wait, but not as much as in Valparaíso.

Studying at San Felipe is better than studying at Valparaíso, according to my experiences, because everything and everyone is friendly there and that can make you give the best of you and get good grades, whereas in Valparaíso you would have to become strong and independent.