system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do people disagree with stem cell research?

am i missing something here??
gpt
Two reasons:

1) Often because their understanding is poor, and scientists often do a horrible job of explaining. Many people think embryonic stem cells from abortions, which is incorrect. In fact they come in-vitro fertilisation (i.e. artificially injecting donated eggs with sperm). When couples go for IVF, because they can not conceive naturally scientists fertilise several eggs (usually around 20) in a dish. Obviously nobody wants to be implanted with 20 fertilised eggs, so there are spares left over. They would either go in the bin, or they can be used for research. That's where scientists get their stem cells from.

Embryonic stem cells are only present during very early stages after the sperm fertilises the egg. This is called the blastocyst. If this was taking place inside a woman, she would NOT be pregnant at this stage. A woman is only pregnant after the fertilised egg implants into the uterus wall. Thus, embryonic stem cells are not in any way related to abortions.

2) Technically, a fertilised egg *could* be considered as the start of life. The egg carries one set of chromosomes (23), and the sperm carries the other (23). So when fertilisation takes place and the chromosomes combine (giving you 2x 23 chromosomes) and the cell divides, this technically is a brand new combination - an individual - i.e. all of the genetic instructions required create a unique human being. So it's fair to say that by harvesting stem cells (thus destroying that embryo), you are removing all potential for life. However, it's worth saying that without implanting into the uterus wall, development into a foetus would never have been possible.

So IMO there is one ridiculous argument, and one realistic one.